News

Pablo Gomez Zuluaga stuns Schloesser for first individual World Cup gold at Madrid 2026

11 July 2026

Madrid, Spain

Real name:

Pablo Gomez Zuluaga raising his hands in the air and shouting after winning the compound men final at Madrid 2026.

Pablo Gomez Zuluaga put in a career-best performance to upset Mike Schloesser and win the compound men's individual gold at Madrid 2026 - stage four of the Hyundai World Cup.

As far as maiden individual World Cup golds go, they don't come much greater than this.

If the odds on a Schloesser win today under the baking Spanish sun weren't high enough, then they were heightened by how the four-time circuit champion lived up to his nickname, 'Mister Perfect', and shot a 150 in the semifinals against the Winnipeg 2025 World Youth under-18 champion, Simon Moritz in the semifinals.

Gomez Zuluaga, on the other hand, had only one of his five ends entirely in the 10 and X rings when he beat a target-panicked Chen Chieh-Lun in the other match.

Starting off, this looked a formality as Schloesser shot 30 in the first end, whilst the Colombian's first arrow went above the 10-ring and into the nine, meaning it would be a game of cat and mouse, the cat having it most difficult given the mouse's world-renowned quality.

The Colombian cat did pounce on its prey though, and more so in the last two ends when, at 89-88 up, Schloesser uncharacteristically strayed wide with two nines, one in the low left-centre and the other just right of the 10 - barely missing the line. Gomez Zuluaga took advantage with two 30s to end the afternoon session 148-147.

“He’s an incredibly strong archer, so it’s rare for him to drop points like that,” Gomez Zuluaga told World Archery, having never faced Schloesser in an individual match before today. “You have to capitalize when it happens. During the match, I was trailing by a point for most of it.”

“In the end, he shot that nine, which gave me the slight advantage I needed to close it out - and we did. I think I achieved one of the goals I’ve had throughout my entire career so, I’ll just keep working, keep aiming for bigger things, and I think we’re on the right track.”

Pablo Gomez Zuluaga aiming in the compound men final at Madrid 2026.

It's an understatement to say fine margins defined this contest.

Outer-ring shots are obviously not what archers aim for but, even though Schloesser has won so much in his stellar career - and, having won Antalya 2026 [stage three], will be determined to win the Saltillo World Cup Final - it was almost cruel the way in which he was just one millimetre, if that, from forcing a shoot-off.

2024 Pan American Championship bronze medallist Gomez Zuluaga won't care one bit how he booked his ticket to Mexico however, only the pride he clearly felt when the result was confirmed.

He and Colombia's long-time coach, Heber Mantilla, screamed and hugged one another as their watching compatriots cheered joyfully at the Complutense National Stadium.

Two of those being former World Cup compound women champions Sara Lopez - who is aiming for World Cup trophy number 10 in September - and Paris 2013 victor Alejandra Usquiano, both of whom also got the compound women team top podium earlier n the day.

Those two, plus Luzmary Guedez [2009] have brought back 11 World Cups to Colombia in compound women. Now the opportunity is there for Gomez Zuluaga to immortalise himself in the country's archery folklore and become the first Colombian compound man to win it, bettering Daniel Munoz's bronze from Moscow 2019.

“It’s not just about the excitement; I think this is one of the biggest competitions - and involves the toughest archers you can face,” said 24-year-old Gomez Zuluaga. “It’s going to be a very, very tough challenge, which I think is the main thing. I’m excited.”

The next archer he could face is a rematch against Schloesser when the World Cup Final draw takes place in Saltillo in two months' time, with all compound action on the regular circuit now complete for 2026.

Recurve finals take place tomorrow, beginning with the team medal matches.