WUXI, China - After a long week of high scores, record performances, and medal wins, Team USA finished out the recurve finals with a silver medal at the World Archery Youth Championships.
Shooting for two chances to make history - the first potential recurve junior men's team gold in twenty years and the first recurve junior mixed team medal ever - the US team was poised for an exciting day, albeit a very high-pressure situation.
The men's team final began as a very tight race with the team from the Russian Federation. Brothers, Daniel and Sean McLaughlin, and Jeremiah Cusick (all: Chula Vista, Calif.) matched the team from Russia, almost arrow for arrow, and only ever one or two points apart.
Entering the final set, the US was just ahead when disaster struck, with a miss-6-7. The trio's hopes of gold vanished and they were left with the silver. However, team members can content themselves with the first US silver medal in this category since 1993 - no small feat.
Daniel McLaughlin got a shot at a rematch with teammate Mackenzie Brown (Chula Vista, Calif.) in their bronze medal mixed team final, also against the Russian Federation. However, the American duo dropped four 7s while Russia managed to keep all but two arrows in the gold. Russia took the win by ten points.
Despite a difficult last day of the championships, Team USA claims a successful outing at the World Archery Youth Championships.
The junior compound men set two new world records, both compound women's teams won gold, and with six medals for the US, the young archers representing America can be very proud of strong performances and great triumphs on the most prestigious youth archery stage.
In what is the best showcase of up and coming archery talent, the US made quite a splash, especially on the compound field, as a name that will not be leaving the podiums soon.
To see more on these matches, including detailed score reports, visit http://www.worldarchery.org/en-us/worldchampionships/youth-wuxi2013/livecommentaries.aspx and check out USA Archery on Facebook and twitter for photos from the field.
Some information attributed to World Archery Communication.
< Back to All News
