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USA edges Türkiye in pulsating match for recurve men team gold at Puebla

12 avril 2026

Puebla, Mexico

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Christian Stoddard, Jack Williams watching Brady Ellison shoot the winning arrow in the recurve men team final at Puebla 2026.

USA responded to recent near misses to pip Türkiye to recurve men gold at Puebla 2026 in what was the most enthralling match at the first stage of the 2026 Hyundai World Cup.

It was the definition of a back-and-forth contest as Brady Ellison, Christian Stoddard, and Jack Williams took the initiative in the first set 55-54 whilst Mete Gazoz, Berkim Tumer - both in Türkiye's Paris 2024 Olympic bronze team - and Berkay Akkoyun responded even stronger in the second 56-55.

The two nations in the latter two normal ends could not be separated as they tied the third 53-53 - where USA failed to land any arrows in the 10 whilst World Cup stage debutant Akkoyun dropped a seven - and then 57-57 in the fourth to leave the scoreline at 4-4, forcing a three-arrow tiebreaker - a much rarer occurrence than in recurve individuals.

Even in that they equalled one another, dropping 29 apiece but the great Ellison - who was on the last USA team that won World Cup gold at Wroclaw 2015 with Sean Mclaughlin and Collin Klimitchek 11 years ago - saved the day for his country once again when it mattered, shooting the only X of the shoot-off whilst Türkiye's Xs fell out of the spider.

“I really didn't think that gold would feel so different than silver,” said 20 year old archer Stoddard, a member of the team that finished runners up in Madrid 2025 - stage four last season and Gwangju last year. “Obviously you're disappointed to win the silver medal, you try really hard.”

“You understand you've worked really hard to get that silver, but winning the gold and winning it under pressure, it means so much more to me.”

“I didn't realize how emotional that could be to win gold, especially on the World Cups because I won the gold with my team at the World Youth Championships last year, and that was incredible, but to win it at this stage, and especially shoot a match that I'm just super proud of, like that was a different feeling than I've ever felt.”

Christian Stoddard shooting in the recurve men team gold medal match at Puebla 2026.

For young Stoddard to be gaining such experience as this at elite senior level bodes well for the future of USA archery as they look to build superstars that can match reigning World Cup champion Ellison's talent, not just rely on it for LA28.

His technique hasn't been a problem the last two consecutive years to get onto the hotly contested American team for World Cups but working on the mental side of archery was what Stoddard repeatedly stated last year he wanted to improve over the winter.

He has worked with a psychologist and others in the outdoor season however, which he fully believed was vital in him joining the limited list of World Cup gold medallists from the USA and the world.

Watch this space for individuals in Shanghai, Antalya and Madrid this year too as he has now tasted the feeling of success at a major competition, which would give any young athlete the world of confidence to propel further in their careers.

“I've gone and worked with many competent people and I think they all really helped, especially coach Elias [Cuesta] being in the box.”

“He was just super helpful reminding me what I know and keeping me on pace and that was just huge for my success.”

“You have to go and you trust things as best you can, but the motions are all there, so it's hard to feel things,” he added.

It could be three medals for Stoddard's teammate and leader Ellison this afternoon with recurve individual finals finishing up the action in Puebla this afternoon.