Youth Olympians take Berlin final to dramatic tiebreak

Turkish archer Mete Gazoz beat Lee Woo Seok of Korea with an incredible shoot-off arrow in the recurve men’s gold medal match at the fourth stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Berlin, Germany.

“It was an important match and a hard competition. It was clear from the start that it would be a hard and difficult match,” said Mete. 

“I had to recover points after I fell behind. I’m very happy and I was very excited. I was confident that I would get the win.”

The last time the pair faced each other was at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, where Lee beat Gazoz in straight sets. That was in the semifinals on the way to the Korean athlete winning the event; Gazoz finished fourth.

In Berlin the contest was much less one-sided.

They weren’t only matched on set points by the end of regulation but also shot exactly the same number of points, 145 out of a possible 150, for the five-set match.

Mete shot first in the shoot-off and put down a 10, barely four or five shaft widths from the very centre of the target.

It would have been hard for Lee to beat – and he couldn’t. His arrow went wide left in the nine.

“I was very excited. I knew that I would land the shot,” said Mete. “After I took the shot, I was comfortable that it would hit.”

His opponent won Antalya and had already qualified for the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final. The 19-year-old Turkish athlete had also already qualified a space to Samsun, whether it be on points or as a stage winner.

Doing it as a winner was sweeter. 

“I am really happy. This is a dream come true. I am now one of the eight or nine best in the world and I have an opportunity with the final happening in my country,” he said.

Two of the most promising young cadets from the last Youth Olympic Games are now two of the most promising young seniors of the international circuit.

And they’ll both take to the field at the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.

The fourth stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place in Berlin, Germany on 16 to 22 July.

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