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France ends long wait for World Cup gold, takes Tokyo revenge against USA

13 July 2025

Madrid, Spain

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Frequent runners-up France finally claimed the recurve men’s team gold medal they had been chasing, defeating the USA at Madrid 2025, the fourth stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup.

Baptiste Addis, Thomas Chirault and Jean-Charles Valladont beat Trenton Cowles, Brady Ellison and Christian Stoddard, 6-2, winning all three of their sets with 57 points. The USA managed a 57 only once, in the third set, finishing on 55, 52 and 53 in the others.

It is France’s first gold medal in the event on the World Cup circuit since Berlin 2017 – and a breakthrough for a team that has come close multiple times, including silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and narrow losses in Antalya and Shanghai earlier this year.

“Now, after eight years, we managed to get this medal again, so it’s amazing,” said Chirault, who was also part of the winning team in Berlin alongside Valladont and Pierre Jangnäs.

“It’s the first for this trio at international level."

“We won the European Championships last year, but not gold at world level, so we are super proud and will keep pushing for the world championships, because it’s the big goal of this year,” Chirault added.

“We can earn some confidence from this last medal, so it’s really great.”

France averaged 9.42 points per arrow and were remarkably consistent, but precision has never been their weakness. At recent events, they have only fallen to Korea’s dominant trio of Lee Woo Seok, Kim Woojin, Kim Je Deok. Beating them earlier in the week in Madrid was already a statement.

The USA, meanwhile, was another familiar opponent – and a painful one. At Tokyo 2020, Ellison, Jack Williams and Jacob Wukie defeated France in straight sets in the opening round, a result Chirault once called a “nightmare”.

Back then, Chirault – just 23 – anchored the team. In Madrid, he did the same, with Valladont shooting second and Addis third. The Frenchman, also a Vegas Shoot silver medallist, landed four of his eight arrows in the 10-ring and set the tone from the start.

“In Shanghai, I had some trouble with my eye. I woke up in the morning and it was twice the size,” he revealed. “This time, I was ready, even if the week was a bit difficult for me [individually]. For this final, I just wanted to give my best for the team, start with a 10 in the arena and give confidence to my teammates.”

“This is my job, I managed to do it well today, so I’m very proud.”

The bells ringing above Madrid’s cathedral, just beyond Explanada Puente del Rey, added a poetic note to the moment as Addis, Chirault and Valladont stood together for their first World Cup gold.

Their time has come. Will it continue in Gwangju?

Korea’s Olympic gold medallists, An San, Lim Sihyeon and Kang Chaeyoung, won the recurve women’s team event, while Ellison and Jennifer Mucino took recurve mixed team gold for the USA.

Competition in Madrid concludes with recurve individual finals in the afternoon.