Danish cadets raise medal hopes with exceptional qualification performance

Denmark set a new world record of 2091 points for the compound cadet men’s team ranking round as Mathias Fullerton led individually at the 2019 World Archery Youth Championships in Madrid, Spain.

The score was four more than the previous record set by the USA at the worlds two years ago in Rosario.

Fullerton and 15-year-old Natacha Stutz’s combined 1387 was also ratified as a new compound cadet mixed team world best. The record had never previously been claimed.

The Danish team was thrilled with the result.

“I think you’ve got to train a lot and just commit to what you do – and set some goals so that you don’t train for nothing,” said Fullerton.

Teammate and second-placed finisher Christoffer Berg added: “If you have a bad arrow, a bad end, you just have to get over. Go for the next arrow and see how could you can be. And there is no reason to give up.”

Sixteen-year-old Fullerton was the only compound cadet archer to hit 700 points for the 72-arrow 50-metre ranking round.

“I felt some good shots. I thought it was going to be a pretty good day. My goal was to shoot a score of 700 and it just happened,” said Mathias. “It’s not like I expected such a result but it was my goal.”

Berg was second, just a point on 699, and the third member of the squad, Tore Bjarnarson, came seventh with 692.

Daniil Kosenkov, Sebastian Garcia, Yakup Yildiz, Cole Zeug and Chirag Vidyarthi received byes into the third round, with the Danes, as top-eight finishers.

Denmark’s compounds, who are coached in Madrid by none other than world championship-winning archer Patrick Laursen, nearly had the top compound cadet women’s seed, too.

Natacha Stutz was leading after 36 arrows but shot a seven and two eights in the second half. Mexico’s Dafne Quintero finished with three straight 59s to jump into the lead.

Stutz finished four behind leader Quintero’s 691.

“I just wanted to complete the competition with my technique on point,” said Natacha, who is working hard to deal with target panic. “It’s just competing and trying to do my technique right. The result comes afterwards.”

Italy’s Elisa Bazzichetto seeded third on 684 points. Ana Sofia Hernandez, Skylah van der Veen, Layla Annison, Meeri-Marita Paas and Makenzie Weatherspoon completed the top eight.

Quintero and Hernandez, with third team member Mariana Bernal, took Mexico to top of the compound cadet women’s team ranking.

The 2019 World Archery Youth Championships takes place on 19-25 August in Madrid, Spain.