French Compound Bow Archers Win Gold at World Cup in Vincennes
“Nous sommes très contents. C’est assez incroyable de gagner ici, à la maison, devant tous nos amis et nos familles. On avait vraiment à coeur de gagner,” Quentin Baraer said after the final, capturing the emotion of a historic weekend for French archery.
France secured its first team gold medal in the men’s compound event at the Archery World Cup on Saturday, June 25, 2022. Competing on home soil in the courtyard of the Château de Vincennes, the French trio of Nicolas Girard, Quentin Baraer, and Jean-Philippe Boulch defeated Turkey 233-229 in a final.
A Perfect Finish Under the Vincennes Cloches
The victory arrived after a streak of three consecutive World Cup finals appearances for the French squad. The three French archers delivered a flawless final rotation, landing three ten-point arrows as the bells of Vincennes rang out to seal the 233-229 triumph over the Turkish team.
“We are very happy. It’s quite incredible to win here, at home, in front of all our friends and families. We really had our hearts set on winning,” Quentin Baraer said, reflecting on the home-court advantage.
Nicolas Girard Secures Individual Gold After Team Triumph
Hours after claiming team gold, 22-year-old archer Nicolas Girard returned to the shooting line and captured the individual compound title. Girard posted a 298 out of 300 scoreline during his semifinal run before defeating Norway’s Andreas Faugstad 148-145 in the individual gold medal match.
Earlier in the knockout rounds, Girard eliminated Braden Gellenthien 150-147, maintaining his composure throughout the afternoon of head-to-head competition.
Olympic Expansion Prospects for Compound Archery
World Archery announced its intention to propose the inclusion of compound archery on the program for the 2028 Olympic Games, elevating the stakes and international visibility for disciplines like the ones contested at Vincennes.
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