TLAXCALA, Mexico – Perfect shooting from James Lutz landed him a first Archery World Cup Final title on Saturday, his all-conquering performance punctuated with an astonishing 45 arrows finding the 10.
Making his fourth appearance at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final, the 26-year-old defeated defending champion Mathias Fullerton (DEN) in the gold medal match, 150-149. Fullerton found a nine with his penultimate arrow, opening the door for Lutz to secure his maiden win.
Speaking to archery+, Lutz said, “I really took it one arrow at a time. I got sick the past couple of weeks, so I feel weak, but I had to keep 100 per cent focused and I think that’s why the scores were what they were.
“This is the first time I’ve ever made it past the first round so, I got that done and then there was no looking back.”
Lutz began with a 150-145 win over Nico Weiner (AUT). That set up a semifinal contest with Mike Schloesser (NED), who needed a one arrow shoot-off to get past Sawyer Sullivan, with the two tied at 148-apiece after 15 arrows.
Schloesser – who had beaten Lutz at the quarterfinal stage the previous two years – dropped a point on the first and fourth ends as the American marched into the gold medal match with a 150-148 victory.
Fullerton and Lutz slugged it out, neither dropping a point through the first four ends. The great Dane faltered with his 14th arrow and Lutz swept through for the win.
Lutz made his debut at the Archery World Cup Final in 2019. On that occasion he lost to Anton Bulaev (RUS) in Moscow in his opening match. He succumbed to Schloesser at the same stage in 2022 and 2023. This year, he was the master, faultless throughout.
Sullivan finished fifth in the compound men’s competition. Alexis Ruiz, the USA’s other representative in Tlaxcala, took seventh in compound women after a 148-144 quarterfinal loss to eventual winner, Sara Lopez (COL).
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