Brady Ellison restores order with commanding victory in Lausanne

Brady Ellison reclaimed his spot atop the podium on Sunday with his ninth-career stage victory at the second leg off the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Lausanne.

The reigning circuit champion responded admirably to an early exit in the opening stage of the season to defeat Germany’s Maximilian Weckmueller, 6-2, in the final of the recurve men’s event and secure his invitation to the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Yankton – his 11th-straight appearance at the season-ending event and where he will look to win a record-sixth trophy.

“I think I might get the ‘most improved’ for that, going out in the first match and then winning here,” Ellison said. “It’s good to get another win. It’s good to be in another World Cup Final that way. Overall, I’m pretty excited with it.”

One month removed from an inconceivable upset at stage one in Guatemala City, Ellison arrived in Lausanne ready to exhibit the poise he showed throughout his monumental 2019 season, when he won the world championships, returned to the number one spot in the world ranking and set the new qualification world record, as well as winning his fifth crown on this circuit.

The world number one seeded second after qualification in Lausanne and cruised into the final four, where he first beat surprise Spanish finalist Yun Sanchez in straight sets before dispatching Weckmueller in four.

Ellison dropped the second set, 29-26, but the blip was only temporary. The reigning world champion shot a 29 in the third and a perfect 30 in the fourth to take one step closer on his quest for that sixth Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion title. 

“They’re saying world number one, world champion and all of that, and you want to keep shooting well,” Ellison said. “I shot three good ends and one not-so-good, so it was good enough this time.”

Winning an international circuit stage wasn't necessarily required for Ellison to attend the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Yankton, as the host country of the event reserves one invitation place in each of the four competition categories. But an archer of Ellison’s calibre expects to earn their spot outright – especially if they hope to win the event in September.

Now that USA spot can go to somebody else.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are also drawing nearer, just two months away as of Sunday, with an individual gold medal at the Games standing as one of the few accolades Ellison has yet to achieve. His performance on Sunday offers assurance that he is every bit of the contender observers thought he would be at the start of the season.

“The biggest thing is just being out here and shooting finals matches,” said Ellison, adding that the USA’s Olympic trials would begin next week. “The experience, being under pressure, being under the cameras – just shooting that, I think, is going to help.”

Sanchez recovered from his defeat against Ellison to win bronze over Nicholas D’Amour of the US Virgin Islands, 6-4.

The Hyundai Archery World Cup continues with stage three in Paris in June.