Pagni with a shot at another world compound title

Sergio Pagni, the indoor world champion four years ago, shot 149 out of a possible 150 points in each of his three last 15-arrow elimination matches to make the gold final at the 2018 World Archery Indoor Championships in Yankton.

He beat recent and three-time Indoor Archery World Cup Final winner Jesse Broadwater, who shot 147, in the semifinals. 

Pagni, who won the title in 2014 in in Nimes, was characteristically relaxed about another chance at the title:

“I’ve been shooting really well here and I was very happy about Vegas [where he shot 899], so I'm feeling very good and confident about Monday. I may need a 150 against Mike [Schloesser], but that's okay.”

The Netherland’s Schloesser is going for his first indoor world title – although he did it the hard way.

In his semifinal against Kris Schaff of the USA, he was shooting clean and leading by two points right up until the final end, when his last arrow of matchplay flew way left into the seven ring. (Mike later claimed, jokingly, that his arrow was “broken”).

Schaff's 29 on the final end meant that the match went to a shoot-off – but Mikey drilled an inside-out 10 to advance to the gold match. 

Schaff and Broadwater, both representing the USA, will contest the bronze medal match. 

In the women’s competition, Yesim Bostan continued her excellent run of international form, shooting matches of 148, 150 and 148 points to make the gold final. She will face veteran Natalia Avdeeva of Russia. The two contested the gold final in Nimes only last month, which Adveeva won by two points. 

There was better news for the USA in the junior divisions, with Curtis Broadnax set to face Denmark's Simon Olsen for men’s gold, and number two seed Cassidy Cox taking on number one seed Elisa Roner for the women’s gold. 

“I’m super excited! I really can’t believe I made the finals,” said Roner. “I felt good all the time, especially in the first one because it was the first time I shot a 148 during eliminations.”

“I have never shot against [Cassidy] before, I don’t know anything about her but it doesn’t worry me because I want to focus on myself.”

The compound finals are contested on Monday in Yankton, with recurve finals on Sunday. With several archers in the finals apparently succumbing to flu, it may be a case of who stays well enough to win.

The 2018 World Archery Indoor Championships takes place in Yankton, USA on 14-19 February.