Russian women shoot more 10s, beat Italy

“It was a perfect match really, and a perfect day. If a little hot for Poland,” said Natalia Avdeeva after leaving the field with compound women’s team gold at Wroclaw 2015. 

“Last year we got the silver medal, now we are gold, so it doesn’t get better than that. I think we were definitely the best team this time around.”

The Russian trio – Avdeeva, Svetlana Cherkashneva and Mariia Vinogradova – put in a match-low six-arrow end total of 57, while their Italian opponents didn’t break that barrier.

The two teams drew the first end, 57-all, Russia won a two-point advantage after the second with a 58 – then cruised to the finish line, with the Russian women only extending their lead along the way. A sweet 59 to close, for 231 total, sealed a four-point victory.

Italy’s silver was the first world podium for the nation’s compound women’s team since the girls won this Wroclaw stage of the Archery World cup in 2013.

“This team is really good, the younger girls really are very strong,” said Avdeeva.

“This season has been pretty much perfect for us, two gold medals, and two bronze medals, and we hope to get a medal in Colombia too.”

The reigning World Archery Champions, the Ukrainian women’s team were something of a surprise victor for the world title at Copenhagen 2015. The three girls – the oldest of which is just 21 – said they had a week of interviews and media meetings after winning gold.

In Wroclaw, Mariya Shkolna qualified first individually and the team made the bronze final.

The consistency Shkolna, Viktoriya Diakova and Olena Borysenko put on display at the worlds was lacking, as the trio put in an eight an end and a seven in the second. Too many reds, and too many points lost to keep up with the USA, whose arrows were tighter on the target.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was more than enough from the States’ squad.

“I was a little low coming in, but I adjusted quickly and it was fine,” said Crystal Gauvin, who partnered with Angela Bradley and Lexi Keller in the three-woman team. Bradley actually got stung by a bee just before the match and was in a lot of pain.

It didn’t seem to hamper her too much. USA had 224/240 for the 24-arrow match total; Ukraine posted 221.

“One more medal down, two to go,” added Crystal, who also shoots for individual and mixed team bronze at Wroclaw 2015.

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