Antalya 2017: Compound finals predictions

For the first time in 18 months, the compound women’s headline match at a stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup will not feature Colombia’s Sara Lopez. Her incredible streak, winning five legs in a row, and 31 unbeaten world-level matches – until she was out-scored by Tanja Jensen in the Antalya semis – remains a record in international archery.

Jensen faces Danish teammate, and Shanghai silver medallist, Sarah Sonnichsen for the stage two title.

Compound women’s gold final:
TANJA JENSEN  / SARAH SONNICHSEN 

These two Danes faced each other in the finals of the World Archery Youth Championships in Yankton in 2015. Jensen won that – and though it’s Sarah who has found more senior international success in recent times, coming second at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in 2016 and taking silver in Shanghai, both have been part of Denmark’s potent women’s trio.

Tanja shot a 149-point match to the beat world number one in the semifinals. If she can pull that score out again, she’ll be tough to beat.

Advantage: Jensen

Compound women’s bronze final:
SARA LOPEZ  / PARISA BARATCHI 

Sara won 31 international matches in a row before dropping one. In a sport of millimetres, and where just shooting high 15-arrow-match scores can prove to be not quite enough – because hitting an opponent in form can happen at any time – that is quite incredible.

An opponent hitting form is exactly what the world number one and world record holder came up against in Antalya. Lopez shot a 147-point match, a “good score” in her own words, but Jensen just shot more.

Baratchi, in her first final, maxed out at 144 points in elimination matchplay. She’ll need more to beat Sara.

Advantage: Sara

Compound men’s gold final:
CHEN HSIANG-HSUAN  / STEVE ANDERSON 

After making a point that he was “trending up” after winning his semifinal against teammate Gellenthien, Anderson – who dropped just four points through four elimination matches at the event – said that Chinese Taipei was the new Korea. That kind of respect for the compound archery abilities coming from one of the most successful nations in the discipline says something.

“I would consider myself a field archer,” said Steve after the semifinals. “I think it’s important. I think you can burn out at 50 metres if that’s all you do. Going into a field course, where it’s much different shooting conditions, helps build up your fundamentals and makes you a better archer.  

Advantage: Steve

Compound men’s bronze final:
BRADEN GELLENTHIEN  / SERGIO PAGNI 

Braden is the reigning world record holder for the 72-arrow 50-metre qualification round, while Sergio – the Sultan of Smooth – is a two-time Hyundai Archery World Cup Final Champion. Over the preceding 24 months, no-one on the field in Antalya arrived with a higher per-arrow average than Gellenthien, though.

Advantage: Braden

The second stage of the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup runs 6 to 11 June in Antalya, Turkey.

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