United States archers Aarya Arun and Ye-eun Whang won the recurve mixed team gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, defeating France 5-1 at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, Senegal.
Gold Medal Match in Senegal
The 16-year-old duo secured the title by maintaining steady scoring across three series against French competitors Maël Lamouret and Aurane Lapouge. The American pair registered 38 points in each of the three series to seal the 5-1 victory.
“Estados Unidos cerró con broche de oro su participación en el tiro con arco de los Juegos Olímpicos de Juventud Dakar 2026,” records show of the final competition day at the venue.
Path to the Championship
Arun and Whang advanced through several elimination rounds before reaching the final. They defeated Slovakia 5-3 in the round of 16 and eliminated Australia by the same 5-3 score in the quarterfinals.
The semifinal against South Korea required a two-arrow shoot-off after both teams tied 4-4. The American archers shot a perfect 20 points to edge out South Korea’s 19 points, as Arun placed his final arrow in the center of the target.
Individual Success at Dakar 2026
Both athletes arrived in Senegal with prior competitive milestones. Arun holds the under-18 youth world record in the 60-meter double round event. Whang earned a silver medal in the women’s individual tournament after losing a shoot-off final to Turkey’s Dunya Yenihayat. Arun finished fifth in the men’s individual competition.
Their mixed team victory adds to the history of U.S. success in Youth Olympic archery, with Trenton Cowles winning gold at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires.
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