Home Pro Makarevych stuns top seed Ellison to reach men’s recurve final at World Indoor Archery Championships

Makarevych stuns top seed Ellison to reach men’s recurve final at World Indoor Archery Championships

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American Brady Ellison’s pursuit of a first World Indoor Archery Championships individual title came to an end today as he suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Sergii Makarevych of Ukraine in the semi-finals at The Congresium in Ankara.

The Ukrainian looked to be heading out of the competition when Ellison, the top seed in the men’s recurve competition, raced into an early 3-1 lead.

Makarevych overcame his lack of experience at this level to fight back valiantly to level proceedings at 3-3 before going on to wrap up a surprise 6-4 victory.

Ukraine are guaranteed the gold medal as Makarevych will take on compatriot Heorhiy Ivanytskyy, the current European Indoor champion, in the final on Saturday (March 5), an event International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is expected to attend. 

Ivanytskyy overcame Italy’s Massimiliano Mandia 6-2 in his last-four contest.

Mandia and Ellison still have the chance to end the event in Turkey’s capital on a positive note as they will clash for the bronze medal.

“It was easier to beat Brady because of his expectations at this competition,” Makarevych said.

“He looked nervous and worried.

“I was relaxed and focused on each of my shots.

“I think it was all about the courage I had during the match as I didn’t have any pressure on me at all.”

Germany’s Lisa Unruh will have the opportunity to live up to her top seed billing when she faces Natalia Lesniak of Poland in the women’s recurve gold medal match.

Unruh, world indoor silver medallist in the team event in 2007, proved too strong for Ukrainian 12th seed Veronika Marchenko in the semi-finals as she cruised to a 6-2 success.

Lesniak came up against hotly-fancied Italian archer Claudia Mandia in the last four and, despite being considered the underdog, the Pole edged her opponent for a 6-4 triumph.

Women’s compound top seed Irene Franchini remains on course for her first-ever world indoor title after she booked her place in the gold medal contest thanks to a 148-145 success over Belgian Sarah Prieels.

The Italian will face Russia’s Albina Loginova, who knocked out sixth seed Toja Cerne of Slovenia in her semi-final match, emerging from a tense affair on the right side of a 146-144 scoreline.

In the men’s compound final, the top two seeds will battle for the gold medal as Dutchman Mike Schloesser, who shot a perfect 600 score at an Archery World Cup event in Nimes in France in January last year, entertains Frenchman Sebastien Peineau, the world number one.

Schloesser, who racked up 43 consecutive tens today, beat Slovenian Dejan Sitar by a narrow 149-148 margin and Peineau clinched a 150-147 win against Iran’s Omid Taheri.

  • By Liam Morgan
  • Republished with permission insidethegames.biz

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