Melanie Gaubil delivers 1st senior medal in only 2nd World Cup season

Melanie Gaubil is off to a flying start in her only second Hyundai Archery World Cup season, securing a first career medal match at 2019’s first stage in Medellin, Colombia.

During 2018, she never got past the third round on the circuit – but did finish fourth at the European Archery Championships last September.

In Medellin, she was one of the most impressive on the recurve women’s eliminations field with all-but-one matches won in 12 arrows or less. Only her quarterfinal against Germany’s Michelle Kroppen went the full five sets.

“The quarterfinal was very hard, and I felt like I had given all my effort on this match,” Gaubil said. “I really wanted to go to the finals, and I knew I could do it.”

Not only did she qualify for the individual gold medal match, but with her teammates on the French squad, Audrey Adiceom and Lisa Barbelin, she will also have a chance at bronze against Spain on Sunday.

Gaubil is already a 2014 Youth Olympic silver medallist and 2017 World Archery Youth Championships bronze medallist. She’ll add podium finisher on the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit to her resume.

“I’m very happy, and I hope that I can reproduce that again and that it will go smoothly this weekend,” the first-time finallist said. “And I’m very happy to meet Kang in the final.”

Gaubil will not enter the final match as the favourite against Kang Chae Young, as the Korean archer is the first seed in Medellin and is the current world record holder for the ranking round.

Chae Young became the first recurve woman to break 690 points during qualification when she shot 691 at the second stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey.

In Medellin, she scored 670 out of a possible 720 points in qualification to top the recurve women’s field.

Japan’s Sugimoto Tomomi will shoot against Lan Lu of China in the recurve women’s bronze medal match.

France secured a second medal at this season’s first stage, courtesy of its compound men’s team, who will shoot against Italy in the final on Saturday.

PJ Deloche, Seb Peineau and Jean Philippe Boulch, seeded fifth in Colombia, upset the top team from the USA in the semis, after a shoot-off. Deloche was the star on the French team during the day, according to Peineau, as he shot only a nine in the shoot-off and the most 10s.

“We are really happy to shoot all three together and at this level,” said Sebastien said. “Winning in the shoot-off is great, let’s have fun in the finals field.”

Boulch will also shoot for individual bronze against USA’s Tate Morgan this Saturday.

Competition at the first stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Medellin, Colombia runs until Sunday 28 April.