MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Competing at the World Archery Championships means more than a week of leaving the hotel before the sun is up, keeping your mental game strong and turned on at all times for days, and just a few arrows to prove the countless hours of practice, training and competition that went in to preparing for this event. Bearing the flag on your shirt is the hugest honor, but can also create quite a high-pressure situation.
Mackenzie Brown (Flint, Texas) commented: "It is unlike any other competition, it's like ten days of world cup and it's nonstop, you have to stay on top of your game for so long, so the mentally tough will succeed."
After qualification, individual elimination matches and team elimination matches, the U.S. athletes had earned spots in two individual bronze matches and the compound men's team won a shot at gold and the world title. Today, competition featured mixed team elimination matches.
The recurve duo of Brady Ellison (Globe, Arizona) and Brown (Flint, Texas) came in ranked 6th and took a strong 6-0 win out the gate over Spain. Then, facing Germany in the quarterfinals, the match was competitive. After four ends and a 4-4 tie, both teams had also scored 150s and the tally was even. Spain took the shoot off win to advance.
Brown added: "The conditions were challenging across the board; the skies look calm but arrows moved in the wind. The altitude has some to do with why the arrows move a lot, but really in mixed team it's all about working with your teammate and being able to trust your shot and their shot. Brady and I have had a lot of success this year, and this was another success. We shot a really awesome match and in a shoot off it's really up to being able to shoot one good shot. We both shot great shots, Germany just shot better."
On the compound side, Braden Gellenthien (Hudson, Massachusetts) and Cassidy Cox (Albuquerque, New Mexico) had their first competition as a mixed team together. The chemistry between the two was strong as they worked on communication leading up to scoring today.
The 11th ranked team had an impressive first round upset of France - opening with a 40 and powering through for a 158-154 win. Taking on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, Gellenthien and Cox suffered a point defecit with an unshot arrow in the second end to finish with a 146 to the Netherlands' 155.
Competition continues tomorrow with the compound finals, which will be streamed live on the Olympic Channel. Results throughout the competition are available at www.worldarchery.org. The medal matches this weekend will stream live on the Olympic Channel. For more, follow USA Archery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
< Back to All News
