Shanghai 2017: Compound finals predictions

The first medal matches of this fresh international season, Pudong financial district’s compound finals see the return of former world number one PJ Deloche to the arena, World Archery Champion Stephan Hansen in his first-ever individual podium match on the circuit and a re-run of 2016’s compound women’s finale.

And the question remains, with her unbeaten run extended to 27 matches on the world stage: will Lopez remain invincible?

COMPOUND MEN’S GOLD final:
PJ DELOCHE  / STEPHAN HANSEN 

Former world number one France’s PJ Deloche made his return to the international outdoor competition after a two-year hiatus due to personal reasons.

Ranked 12th after the compound men’s ranking round, the French man beat Danie Oosthuizen from Australia, Roberto Hernandez from El Salvador, Choi Yonghee from Korea and USA’s Braden Gallenthien and Reo Wilde to make the finals.

He’s facing World Archery Champion Stephan Hansen who, individually, has never medalled on the outdoor circuit.

“It’s nice to finally be on the podium in the world cup. I always shot bad, always lost. Good scores but losing anyway. This time everything worked out. I shot average scores all the time and it was enough all the time,” said seventh seed Hansen, who beat Mike “Mister Perfect” Schloesser in the last 16 round.

If PJ continues confident, the match is set to be his great comeback, but Stephan has proved very capable of succeeding in big moments.

Advantage: PJ

COMPOUND MEN’S BRONZE final:
REO WILDE  / PATRICK COGHLAN 

Top seed Reo Wilde has made seven Hyundai Archery World Cup Finals since the inaugural event in 2006, winning the first, taking two silver and two bronze. The 43-year-old beat Esmaeil Ebadi, 148-145, in the quarters in Shanghai to meet PJ Deloche in the semis – a match he lost by one, 145-146.

His bronze medal match is against another archery veteran, Australian Patrick Coghlan, who’s last medal dates back to Shanghai in 2010, where he won gold with the compound men’s team.

He seeded sixth with 704 points and defeated Steve Anderson in the quarters in a one-arrow shoot-off. Both Patrick and Steve shot a 10, but the Aussie’s was closer to the middle. Then, in the semis, he lost by six-points to Hansen.

It’s a match between two of the most experienced men in the circuit, but Reo has had more consistently-strong results.

Advantage: Reo

COMPOUND WOMEN’S GOLD final:
SARA LOPEZ  / SARAH SONNICHSEN 

In a re-match of Shanghai’s 2016 finals, Sara Lopez and Sarah Sonnichsen, two of the most successful and young women in the compound division, meet once again for gold. In 2016, Sara, without the ‘h’, won – midway through an unbeaten run that’s now at 27 matches.

World number one Lopez ranked second in Shanghai, seven points back on leader Sonnichsen and cruised through the brackets after shooting an early perfect-150 match.

Top seed with 707, Dane Sonnichsen set a new European record – one point more than the previous mark – and made it to all three medal matches: individual, team, mixed team. After qualifying for the final, she said: “It would be cool to beat her considering she’s been unbeaten for so many years, she’s so experienced and she’s shooting good.”

Advantage: Sara

COMPOUND WOMEN’S BRONZE final:
SARAH PRIEELS  / DELLIE THREESYADINDA 

Both Dellie Threesyandinda and Sarah Prieels will shoot in their first individual Hyundai Archery World Cup medal match.

Dellie, ranked 29th, upset Toja Ellison in the fourth round in a shoot-off that she won with a nine. In the quarters, she met Parisa Baratchi from Iran and defeated her 141-139. Then, in the semis, she lost to Sarah Sonnichsen by a eight-point gap, 139-147.

Prieels, seeded 22nd, defeated four compound women before losing to Sara Lopez in the semis, 143-147. She has medalled twice on the circuit in the mixed team event, she’s a European indoor and outdoor champion and won silver at the Ulaanbaatar 2016 World Archery University Championships.

Will experience prevail?

Advantage: Prieels

The first stage of the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup runs 16 to 21 May in Shanghai, China.