Seb Peineau to defend world title as French compound teams announced

Reigning world champion Sebastien Peineau is set to defend his title at the ’s-Hertogenbosch 2019 Hyundai World Archery Championships after France named its compound teams for the upcoming international season.

“It feels great to be in the team and have the opportunity to defend my title from Mexico,” he said. “I know that if it’s a good week, I can perform and have a good run. I also know that it can end really fast with the precision we’ve reached in our category.”

Peineau beat Stephan Hansen of Denmark, who was the returning world champion at the time, in a shoot-off in the compound men’s gold medal match at the worlds in Mexico City in 2017.

In ’s-Herogenbosch this year, he will be joined in the French team by Pierre-Julien Deloche and Jean Philippe Boulch. Deloche was runner-up at the world championships back in 2013. Sophie Dodemont, Clemence Fraigneau and Sandra Herve are the compound women’s team.

All six archers are scheduled to travel to the first and third stages of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Medellin, Colombia and Antalya, Turkey.

Deloche and Dodemont will also fill France’s two quota places at the Minsk 2019 European Games, which are the first to include a compound competition.

“Of course, I’m a little sad about Minsk. I had a rough start to the trials and I gave everything to come back strong and make the worlds team,” said Peineau.

“Last year, Sophie teamed up with PJ and won Antalya, then with me and won Salt Lake, then with JP and won the European Championships.”

“It’s always really close in mixed team but they can win it.”

France’s recurve teams for the ’s-Hertogenbosch 2019 Hyundai World Archery Championships are expected to be announced following the first European Grand Prix in Romania.