DELOCHE and DODEMONT outlast Dutch pair for mixed team gold

The Netherlands led from start… until right until the end. Shooting 10s left, right and right in the centre, Inge VAN CASPEL and reigning outdoor world champion Mike SCHLOESSER looked to have Medellin mixed team gold sewn up.

But, in the last end, disaster struck. An eight from VAN CASPEL unlocked the door, and a following nine by SCHLOESSER opened it wide.

World number one PJ DELOCHE and Sophie DODEMONT shot as solidly as they had all match – and watched as SCHLOESSER look the line for the final arrow, which could force a shoot-off if it hit 10.

It hit nine, and PJ and Sophie threw their arms in the air.

“It’s our first gold together as a team,” said DELOCHE. “I’m just so happy it happened.”

“Sophie used to be a recurve archer… she switched to compound and in less than two years she is a World Cup stage gold medallist.”

DODEMONT is coy about her change to the non-Olympic style, after she picked up a medal at the Beijing 2008 Games: “It wasn’t a mess to change. I started with compound after London and in April I was on the podiums.”

“I recently won the Arizona Cup, and now this… It’s simply great!”

Russia finished with a streak of four 10s in the last end to finish just two points behind the USA’s Erika JONES and Reo WILDE for bronze. The States pair only dropped three of their 16 arrows out of the 10 all match.

WILDE already picked up compound men’s team gold this morning.

See scores from the second Archery World Cup stage at Medellin 2014.