World #1 USA men master wind, secure Salt Lake victory

Steve Anderson, Kris Schaff and Reo Wilde beat Mexico, 231 points to 216, to secure the USA compound men’s team’s second stage victory of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup season after gold in Shanghai and silver in Antalya. 

“There’s no difference whether it’s this time or last time or next time we want to win and we expect to win,” said Anderson, the US opener.

“We know we can go out to perform together and if one of us is struggling, the other one is probably excelling.” 

“We are tough to beat when it’s like that and we are tough to beat when we are not at our best as well, it’s just a team performance for us.”

Mexico struggled with the wind, but it might not have mattered if it had been calm – with Schaff, Wilde and Anderson shooting probably one of the best wind matches seen on tour.

As the Mexican team dropped arrows left and low into the red, the US men started with a 59-point end and had built a 10-point lead by the halfway point. 

By the end of the 24-arrow 50-metre match the advantage was up to 15, as the hosts took gold, 231-216.

“I was surprised how well my pin had a good chance to settle [in the wind], and as soon as it settled I was just aggressive,” said Wilde.

Schaff explained that each of the three men took a different approach to the conditions.

“I have a lot of shorter drawing and lighter arrows and bigger arrows, so they carry more. I was actually aiming in the red-yellow line to the nine o’clock side, while Steve was saying ‘you know, I’m built for this, I’ll aim in the middle’,” he said.

“It depends on your set up and how fast you are shooting.”

In the compound men’s bronze medal match, Chinese Taipei was ahead of France by six points arriving into the last six and cruised to a win, 221-214.

The third stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place in Salt Lake City, USA on 18-24 June.

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