8 team bronze medals awarded at world youth championships

The first medals of the 2017 World Archery Youth Championships came at the end of team eliminations day, when eight squads won bronze medals in their respective divisions.

Two USA trios secured medals, while Russia, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Great Britain, Mexico and India all walked away with one each.

Here’s a run-down of the early podium finishers in Rosario…

1. Recurve junior men team

Russia (5) beat Brazil (11), 24-23 in a shoot-off.

After going 4-0 up on the South Americans, Russia let Brazil back in to force a bronze medal match shoot-off. The Russian team shot two sevens in the tiebreaker – but a four from the Brazilian trio sunk any hope of stealing the match.

“It’s beautiful,” said a succint Alexey Krivolap. “We stayed calm, we did our job and we won.”

2. Compound junior women team

USA (1) beat Italy (2), 226-218.

The two top seeds in the bronze medal match. Arriving in Rosario, the USA was the defending champion – but came up short against, and was upset by, the fifth seeds in Great Britain in the semis. 

“We had a tough first match but I think we came back strong in the second one,” said Cassidy Cox. “I’m proud of my teammates.”

3. Compound cadet women team

India (4) beat Great Britain (2), 212-206.

India’s Khushbu Dhayal said this after the fourth seeds overcame a second-seeded British team: “It was a very proud moment. It was a sudden thing we didn’t expect but we shot well.”

“It was quite windy today but the place is nice so we felt a very positive environment all around us. We expected a medal. We wanted gold but bronze is okay.”

4. Compound cadet men team

Mexico (2) beat Canada (5), 220-207.

After surviving a shoot-off against South Africa in the quarterfinals (29-26), Mexico lost a shoot-off to Turkey in the semis (28-29). The trio bounced back to beat Canada by a comfortable 13 points.

5. Recurve cadet women team

Great Britain (7) beat Philippines (8), 6-2.

After knocking out top-seeded Korea two matches earlier, the Philippines couldn’t muster enough points in a set to stop Great Britain. A 52 in the first won two set points, but the Brits improved series-on-series to take the match in four.

“To come away with a bronze, there’s no words. I’m really, really happy,” said Louisa Piper. Alyssia Tromans-Ansell added: “We have our ups, we have our downs but we work really well together.”

6. Recurve junior women team

Chinese Taipei (2) beat Poland (13), 6-2.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t make it into the gold medal, but the match against Poland for bronze was much better than our semifinal,” said Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chih-Yu. “We worked as a team, we encouraged each other and we were confident.”

7. Compound junior men team

USA (1) beat Great Britain (7), 233-220.

No contest from a British squad that beat Australia, Italy and Canada in matchplay. The top-seeded USA junior men posted its highest 24-arrow total of the afternoon – 233 points – on route to bronze.

“The three of us, we’re great friends, so to come here to Argentina, for the worlds, and win a bronze medal for the States is emotional. Something of a lifetime,” said Jesse Clayton.

8. Recurve cadet men team

Japan (2) beat Italy (8), 6-2.

The second seeds averaged nearly 55 points a set in this win over Italy. Cadets shoot a 60 metres but in the wind on the field in Rosario, a tidy performance from Japan.

The 2017 World Archery Youth Championships run 2 to 10 October in Rosario, Argentina.

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