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Gibson, Fullerton, Kaufhold take maiden world titles after dramatic World Field finals

27 September 2026

Yankton (USA)

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Mathias Fullerton, Ella Gibson and Casey Kaufhold all won their maiden world titles at the Yankton 2026 World Archery Field Championships after a dramatic day of individual finals at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center.

The audience was treated to a continuous flow of action as semifinals and finals began eight minutes apart on the four-target finals course. Every match came down to target four: a 55-metre shot at a pair of targets suspended high in the sky by a crane.

World number one Fullerton won his first world title, beating the USA’s Gaius Carter by a single point, 72-71. Two points ahead going into the final target, Fullerton pushed his first arrow wide to allow Carter to close the gap. He held his nerve to let down on the next arrow before delivering the final six.

“I feel ecstatic. I did not think this was how it was going to end,” said the 23-year-old. “Every target I was just thinking, ‘Three good shots, three more good shots’, and when I came to the target I just thought, ‘One more, one more’. On this last one I had six to win and I knew it was quite shaky, but it just stuck in the middle right in the end and I shot like fire.”

Fullerton became European field champion last year – a win which pushed him to world number one – but had to manage expectations after a slow start in Yankton saw him qualify in 13th place.

“I don’t really shoot field. We have Danish Nationals, that’s the one tournament we have that year, but I put a lot of time and effort in and got help from a lot of people.”

“This week started out crazy. My bow case fell on my bow and my sight was breaking in the rounds and I was like, ‘Ugh, rough, rough start’, and I didn’t really know where to go from there other than to just shoot.”

“I think this is the top right now. This is fun, but it’s not what I enjoy 100%. I go here for the world ranking. I’m not a big fan of the ranking, but whatever the game is, I’ll evolve to it. At the end of the day it’s archery, and I love archery and just shooting.”

The women’s final was equally close, with Ella Gibson beating the USA’s Paige Pearce, one of the most successful compound women in World Archery Field Championships history.

“I feel amazing,” said Gibson. “It was obviously an incredible experience and what I was aiming for this week.”

For the ever-ambitious Gibson, it was a display of composure and execution. The result also returned her to world number one, a position she lost last year to Andrea Becerra.

The final lived up to expectations, with both women level after the first three targets. They were clean on the first, dropped a single point each on the second and were clean again on the third to set up a final-target showdown.

Pearce started with an error, a wide four that opened the door for Gibson. Gibson then went wide with a five. Pearce delivered a better five with her second arrow, while Gibson went left again with a four-five liner. Both finished with strong sixes before facing an agonising wait for the targets to be brought back to the ground.

Gibson’s second arrow was called good. She was world champion – her first such title after a distinguished career.

At the previous edition in Lac La Biche in 2024, Pearce defeated Amanda Mlinaric, who took bronze in Yankton, leaving Gibson in third.

Gibson was fully aware of her history at the competition and what had driven her on.

“I’ve finished fourth in the world at fields, I’ve finished third in the world at fields, so I knew at least getting through to the gold medal match that it’s going to be one better, but I really wanted to make it gold today and it was an amazing feeling too.”

Before the compound finals, the recurve men’s matchup produced perhaps the most dramatic moment of the day, as Florian Unruh snatched the title from Brady Ellison with a single, perfect final arrow.

It was a matchup worthy of the occasion, with Unruh the winner here in 2022 and Ellison the winner in 2024.

The German was two points down after an errant four on the second target, but shot clean at the third to narrow Ellison’s lead to a single point. They traded fives on the final target, but Ellison closed out with an arrow that just dropped into the four, meaning a six from Unruh would win the title.

Unruh delivered, producing the maximum six with his final arrow to deny Ellison the title.

“I am really happy to win,” said the German. “It was the goal of coming and it was nice that I could shoot well enough and take the gold medal. The course was really nice. It was true field archery, being able to shoot up and down.”

Ellison and Unruh have now faced each other 10 times across target and field competition over the last 12 years, with each winning five matches – but none more important or dramatic than this one.

The host nation had more to celebrate as Casey Kaufhold won her first world title, beating France’s Audrey Machinet 62-52. Machinet, who placed fifth at this event in 2022, never found the same consistency on the finals field as a composed Kaufhold, who executed without hesitation.

It was a mature performance throughout the week from Kaufhold, still only 22, who burst into tears afterwards.

“This is a title that I’ve been chasing for a long time,” she said. “I know that field is new but the world champion title, I knew it was just a matter of time. I honestly just didn’t think field was going to be the first world champion title I had, but I am very happy for it.”

“I honestly worked really hard. I shot a lot of arrows. I set up my equipment as good as I could. I prepared really well for this tournament. It just feels good to know that that paid off. If I win, great, I just want to enjoy. And I did both of those things, so I’m happy.”

The barebow men’s final saw two experienced competitors, Giuseppe Seimandi and multiple champion Erik Jonsson, face off before Jonsson faded late to hand Seimandi the title.

Seimandi, who won a European 3D title as a compound archer in 2018, claimed his first major title as a barebow archer after more than a decade competing at the top level.

Italy’s Eleonora Strobbe, another experienced competitor, won her second world field title in barebow women’s, 16 years after her first in 2010.

“I had a two- or three-year break from international events but otherwise I shoot because I like it,” said Strobbe. “It’s like my life. I have a family, I work, but it is my hobby, my passion and I still love it.”

“I don’t know why I love field archery. In field you don’t know what you will find.”

The competition closes with the team finals on Sunday.