Athlete of the Week: Braden GELLENTHIEN (USA)

Braden GELLENTHIEN achieved early success in his career with the individual bronze medal and the team gold at the 2003 World Championships at age 17. He went on to represent the United States in all the World Archery Championships that have been held since—and won the team title every time (Madrid 2005, Leipzig 2007, Ulsan 2009, and Turin 2011).

The year 2007 was GELLENTHIEN’s best in terms of results. He became indoor world champion in Izmir; in April, he made an impressive debut at his first appearance on the World Cup circuit at stage 2 in Varese, winning the team and individual gold medals; he went on to win the team gold and individual silver at the World Championships—losing the gold to Canada’s Dietmar TRILLUS on a shoot-off.

2007 was also the year that Braden GELLENTHIEN qualified for his first World Cup Final. In Dubai, he made it to the gold medal final against the Salvadorian star Jorge JIMENEZ. After tying halfway through, GELLENTHIEN shot three 9s in the second half and settled for silver.

Upon graduating from University in 2008, the young American became a fulltime archer—his good results allowing him to make a living out of the sport.

Good performances over the 2009 World Cup season brought GELLENTHIEN to his second World Cup Final, this time in Copenhagen. He shot nothing but 10s in his semifinal against Jorge JIMENEZ. With eight x10s, he set a new world record in the compound men’s division. However he couldn’t keep that level in the gold medal final, which he lost to Italy’s Sergio PAGNI 115-114.

A similar scenario happened in 2010. The American again qualified for the World Cup Final, thanks, most notably, to a victory at the third stage in Ogden. Facing Sergio PAGNI again in the gold medal final, GELLENTHIEN had to settle for his third World Cup Final silver.

The 26 year-old, who is coached by Terry WUNDERLE (the father of 2000 Olympic silver medallist Vic WUNDERLE), qualified for his fourth World Cup Final in 2012. Currently No. 2 of the world ranking, GELLENTHIEN won the quarterfinal against Germany’s Paul TITSCHER 145-143, and the semifinal against Mexico’s Julio Ricardo FIERRO by three points (147-144).

In the gold medal final, the American battled it out with the No. 1, former world champion and World Cup Final winner Reo WILDE. Friends as much as they are rivals on the field, the two archers won a lot of team titles together. In Tokyo, both men shot eleven 10s and one 9 in the first four ends of the final, to tie at 119-119 before the three final arrows. Both opened the fifth end with a 9. Braden outscored Reo on the second shot—10 to 9. WILDE finished with a 10, forcing his younger rival to match it for the win. Victory 148-147 and finally the gold medal for Braden GELLENTHIEN!

  Biography Extract:  Braden GELLENTHIEN (USA) – Born on 26 April 1986 
1st Individual World Cup Final Tokyo 2012 2nd Individual Indoor World Cup Final Las Vegas 2011 1st Team Indoor World Championships Las Vegas 2012 1st Team World Championships Turin 2011 5th Individual World Championships Turin 2011 2nd Individual World Cup Final Edinburgh 2010 1st Individual World Cup Ogden 2010 2nd Individual World Cup Final Copenhagen 2009 1st Team World Championships Ulsan 2009 1st Team Indoor World Championships Rzeszow 2009 1st Individual World Cup Santo Domingo 2009 2nd Individual World Cup Final Dubai 2007 1st Team World Championships Leipzig 2007 2nd Individual World Championships Leipzig 2007 1st Individual World Cup Varese 2007 1st Team Indoor World Championships Izmir 2007 1st Individual Indoor World Championships Izmir 2007 1st Individual World University Championships Slovakia 2006 1st Team World Championships Madrid 2005 1st Team World Championships New York City 2003 3rd Individual World Championships New York City 2003   More results information on Braden GELLENTHIEN and all other archers on the World Archery website.   World Archery Communication