Mexico reserve compound men’s team stuns world number two India

Mexico’s reserve compound men’s team produced one of the biggest surprises of the season on Wednesday morning, edging India in a shoot-off to book a place in the compound men’s team gold medal match at the fourth stage of the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup.

The result was unexpected for good reason. Miguel Becerra, Rodrigo Olvera and Elias Reyes Cravioto are competing together as a team for the first time.

Mexico’s leading compound men’s squad – Sebastian Garcia Flores, Rodrigo Gonzalez De Alba, Juan Carlos Del Rio Gutierrez and Lot Máximo Méndez Ortiz – is absent, along with the nation’s other regulars, as preparations continue for the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Although all three have competed internationally before, they had never shot together as a team at a Hyundai Archery World Cup. That made Wednesday’s victory over Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, Kushal Dalal and Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru all the more impressive, particularly as it came via a shoot-off after a 147-147 tie in temperatures approaching 40°C.

“We knew we didn't have the main team, we were the secondary team, but the three of us have all been on the main team at some point, so we have the level to be here, and we have the level to fight for the gold medal match,” said Olvera, who had to wait alongside his teammates as the judges measured the deciding arrows.

“I was just hoping it would be resolved. At the end of the day, we're not judges.”

“They know the procedures, and they have to follow them correctly. They [India] were asking to repeat the measurement, but the judge said it couldn't be done again, so that was the thing.”

As surprising as the result was, it was not Olvera and his teammates’ first experience on archery’s premier international circuit.

Chemistry plays a major role in team and mixed team competition, with communication between athletes and coaches essential to maintaining rhythm and grouping arrows tightly in the 10-ring.

That is why teams often spend weeks training together before major events.

Despite having competed at five Hyundai Archery World Cup stages, including this one, Olvera had never shared a team line-up with Becerra and Reyes Cravioto.

India boasts one of the deepest talent pools in compound archery, but Wednesday’s result showed Mexico has the depth to challenge the world’s best even without its first-choice line-up.

“I think it’s because we start shooting at a very young age. It’s a solid foundation for young archers. We have competitions for juniors, for cadets, and for younger age groups from the time we’re very little.”

“We have a good standard. We have Olympic medals, and we have the dream of winning major tournaments, so I think that’s why,” added the 24-year-old.

India’s disappointment continued in the bronze medal match, where Dalal, Jadhav and Thirumuru narrowly lost 233-232 to Germany’s Noah Nuber, Paolo Kunsch and Simon Moritz.

The result secured Germany’s first compound men’s team medal at a Hyundai Archery World Cup since Berlin 2017 – coincidentally, also against India.

Recurve qualifying is currently underway at Vallehermoso Stadium.

Finals: Madrid 2026

• Compound men team: Mexico versus Denmark
• Compound women team: Colombia versus India

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