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Gibson, Fullerton & Kaufhold take maiden world titles after dramatic individual World Field finals

27 septembre 2026

Yankton (USA)

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Mathias Fullerton, Ella Gibson, and Casey Kaufhold all took their maiden world titles at the Yankton 2026 World Archery Field Championships after a long day of high drama at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center.

The audience was treated to a continuous flow of action as a rolling series of semifinals and finals kicked off eight minutes apart on the four-target course. Every match culminated on target four: a 55-metre shot at a pair of targets suspended high in the sky by a crane.

The world number one Matthias Fullerton took his first ever world title, beating the USA's Gaius Carter by a single point, 72-71. Two points ahead going into the last target, Fullerton then pushed his first arrow wide to let Carter narrow the lead by a single point. He held his nerve to let down on the next arrow, before delivering the final six.

“I feel ecstatic. I did not think this was how it was going to end.” said the 23-year-old. “Every target I was just thinking ‘three good shots, three more good shots’ and when I came to the target I just thought ‘one more, one more’. On this last one I had six to win and I knew, it was quite shaky, but it just stuck in the middle right in the end and I shot like fire.”

Fullerton became European field champion last year – a win which pushed him to world number one – but had to manage expectations after a slow start in Yankton which saw him qualify in 13th place. “I don’t really shoot field, we have Danish Nationals, thats the one tournament we have that year but I put a lot of time and effort and got help from a lot of people.”

“This week started out crazy, my bowcase fell on my bow and my sight was breaking in the rounds and I was like ‘ugh rough, rough start’ and I didn't really know to go from there other than to just shoot.”

“I think this is the top right now. This is fun, but its not what I enjoy 100%. I go here for the world ranking. I‘m not a big fan of the ranking, but whatever the game is I’ll evolve to it. At the end of the day its archery, and I love archery and just shooting.“

The women‘s final was also a monster affair, as Ella Gibson won her final against the USA's Paige Pearce, likely the greatest field compound woman of all time.

“I feel amazing, It was obviously an incredible experience and what I was aiming for this week,” said Ella. For the ever-ambitious Gibson, it was one of her finest displays of absolute composure and execution, with Pearce perhaps just a fraction off her imperious best. It also pushed Gibson back to number one in the world ranking, a position she lost last year to Andrea Becerra.

The final was exactly the level of quality expected; with both women deadlocked on the first three targets, clean on the first, dropping just a single point each on the second, then clean on the third bunny to set up a last target showdown.

Pearce started with an error; a wide four that opened the door for Gibson. Gibson went wide with a five. Pearce delivered a better five with her second arrow, and Gibson went left again, a four/five liner. Both finished with strong sixes, then faced the agonising wait for the targets to be brought to earth. But Gibson's second arrow was called good. She was world champion; her first such title after a superlative career.

Last time out at Lac La Biche, Pearce defeated Amanda Mlinaric (who took bronze here), leaving Gibson in third.

Gibson was fully aware of her history at this competition, and what drove her on: “I’ve finished fourth in the world at fields, I’ve finished third in the world at fields, so I knew at least getting through to the gold medal match that its going to be one better, but I really wanted to make it gold today and it was an amazing feeling too.”

Before the compound finals, the recurve men’s matchup produced perhaps the most dramatic moment of the day, as Florian Unruh snatched the title from Brady Ellison with a single, perfect final arrow.

Again, it was the matchup the audience deserved, with Florian the winner here in 2022 and Brady the winner in 2024. The German was two points down after an errant four on the second target, but shot clean at the third to narrow Brady's lead to a single point. They traded fives in the last end, but Brady closed out with an arrow that just dropped into the four, meaning a six from Unruh would win it.

Unruh‘s career has turned on such moments and an icy ability to deliver the goods, and he produced, apparently nervelessly, the best maximum of his career to deny a clearly gutted Brady the title.

Florian was characteristically understated afterwards – at least in English. “I am really happy to win. It was the goal of coming and it was nice that I could shoot well enough and take the gold medal. The course was really nice. It was true field archery, being able to shoot up and down,” he said.

Ellison and Unruh have now matched up ten times across target and field competition over the last dozen years each winning five matches – but none more important and dramatic as this one.

The host nation had more to smile about as Casey Kaufhold took her first world title 62-52 against France‘s Audrey Machinet, who placed fifth at this event in 2022. Machinet never looked fluent on the finals field, and against a rock-solid Kaufhold executing without hesitation, it was not close.

It was a mature performance throughout the week from Kaufhold, still somehow only 22, who burst into tears afterwards. “This is a title that I’ve been chasing for a long time. I know that field is new but the world champion title, I knew it was just a matter of time, I honestly just didn’t think field was going to be the first world champion title I had, but I am very happy for it,” she said.

“I honestly worked really hard. I shot a lot of arrows. I set up my equipment as good as I could. I prepared really well for this tournament. It just feels good to know that that paid off. If I win, great, I just want to enjoy. And I did both of those things, so I'm happy.”

The men‘s barebow final saw two mature and experienced competitors, Giuseppe Seimandi and multiple winner Erik Jonsson slug it out, before Jonsson badly faded to hand Seimandi the title. Seimandi, who won a European 3D title as a compound archer in 2018, took his first major title as a barebow after well over a decade competing at the top level.

Italy's Eleonora Strobbe, another mature and experienced competitor took her second world field title in women‘s barebow, some 16 years after her first in 2010.

The Italian said: “I had a 2-3 year break from international events but otherwise I shoot because I like it, its like my life. I have a family, I work, but it is my hobby, my passion and I still love it. The course was really nice, in Italy we are used to up and down hills but its always challenging. It’s nice to not just be flat and shoot some up and down.”

“I don’t know why I love field archery. In field you don't know what you will find.”

The competition closes with the team finals on Sunday.