Recurves convert seed into stage wins; Gellenthien takes second Marrakesh gold

It’s not always the highest qualifiers make it through the minefield of eliminations, but FISSORE and SCHUH shot strong…

Matteo FISSORE – the Italian that had Jean-Charles VALLADONT sussed last season – didn’t get a chance to go head-to-head with the French former world field champion. VALLADONT went out to another Frenchman, Adrien LERICHE, early in the Marrakesh knockouts.

FISSORE beat LERICHE in the semis with a solid shoot-off 10, to advance to a final against Alexey BORODIN from Russia.

After qualifying in 25th, local Moroccan archer Mohamed JELLOUN did well to take out ninth seed Thomas AUBERT in the morning’s competition – but JELLOUN was beaten by FISSORE on course to his gold medal appearance.

FISSORE lost last year’s Marrakesh final to Rick VAN DER VEN (NED).

This year, it went a full-five sets. Drawing at 3-all after three regulation three-arrow series, FISSORE pulled ahead. He won the last two to take the match 7-3.

Top recurve women’s seed Berengere SCHUH – who’s well on the way to being labelled resurgent – had a gold medal clash with Naomi FOLKARD. The Brit won Marrakesh last year and the pair have a lengthy history, including European Championships finals match-ups.

In that history, SCHUH has tended to have FOLKARD’s number… and that continued in Marrakesh. Berengere didn’t drop a set point in the 6-0 win.

Youngsters Emilie LACROIX and Ariel GIBILARO battled for bronze. Emilie, from France, prevailed over her American opponent.

It needed an archer surer of their archery skills than was in Marrakesh to keep compound world champion Mike SCHLOESSER from making the finals. The Flying Dutchman shot a 150, 148, 149 series, knocking out top shooters Sergio PAGNI (ITA), Stephan HANSEN (DEN) and PJ DELOCHE (FRA) – before meeting the defending Marrakesh gold medallist in the final.

Braden GELLENTHIEN, who started his indoor season so well last year but failed to capitalise over the straight, started this season on the same note.

After beating SCHLOESSER’s teammate Peter ELZINGA in a quarterfinal shoot-off, States man GELLENTHIEN shot nine 10s to start the final. It gave him a three-point lead he’d maintain over the finish line to win Marrkesh for the second year in a row.

Britain’s Naomi JONES knocked out full-time compound women’s pro and top seed Crystal GAUVIN in the semis. The USA’s GAUVIN settled for bronze, then JONES won gold in a shoot-off.

See results from the first stage of the 2014/15 Indoor Archery World Cup in Marrakesh.

http://www.worldarchery.org/NEWS/News/ArtMID/10510/ArticleID/9754/Recurves-convert-seed-into-stage-wins-GELLENTHIEN-takes-second-Marrakesh-gold

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