Iran, India, Mexico and Denmark make thunderous mixed team finals

After qualification finished on Tuesday afternoon in Wroclaw, the mixed team competition, involving the top sixteen countries in each of compound and recurve, played out until the semifinals to decide the medal matches on Saturday and Sunday.

With the temperature still high, the sun setting and the occasional rumble of thunder in the background, the stage was set for some serious battles. 

In the recurve competition, the first round fell pretty much to formbook, although Germany squeaked past Japan in a shoot-off.

They were to face a French team recovering some form after a disappointing world championships where the team failed to qualify any of their recurve teams for Rio 2016. France beat Germany but were then faced with India, another team hitting a seam of form.

India managed to beat France 5-3 to book at least one medal match this weekend - and the French will be pleased to get a look at a podium after a tough month. 

The top seeded USA team of Collin Klimitchek and Mackenzie Brown managed to see off Iran in the first round but came up against a strong Belarussian team and a tight match that went to not one, but TWO shoot-offs, after the first one could not produce a decision.

The Belarussian pair won the second shoot-off cleanly, but then came up against an skeleton Mexican team that had managed to hammer China and Russia. 

Just four Mexican archers had arrived in Wroclaw, without any coaches or staff, but nevertheless proceeded to tear through the field. Mexico won 5-3 to face India in Sunday’s final, with France and Belarus fighting it out for the bronze.

Afterwards, Juan Rene Serrano said: “We knew we could beat anyone out there, and after the toughest match against China, when we came from behind, we weren’t worried at all. We’re pretty confident about Sunday.”

The compound competition was not short of strong teams, but there was bad news for the USA and the pairing of Crystal Gauvin and Braden Gellenthien.

The heavy favourites on paper, they thumped Estonia and edged out Slovenia to fall to a strong challenge from Iran by just one point in a tight semi.

“Conditions were really difficult out there,” explained Braden. “During the last end, the wind picked up fiercely. All credit to the Iranian team, they shot brilliantly, and they deserved to win. We’re looking forward to going for the bronze.”

Colombian partners Maja Marcen and Daniel Munoz put in a strong run, beating Mexico and the Ukraine by just a single point each.

They then faced a team featuring the brand-new world champion Stephan Hansen, who hadn’t put a foot wrong with Sarah Holst Sonnichsen. Denmark won by three points, securing a chance to face Iran in the final on Saturday, with Colombia and the USA stepping onto the field for third place.