Archery coach is annoyed about "unfair" position
In the qualification of the women's archers, the German team missed the direct entry into the quarterfinals of the Olympics. Bundestrainer Oliver Haidn also sees a "tougher way" ahead due to unequal conditions at the venue. However, he looks forward positively.
Bundestrainer Oliver Haidn criticized the placements in the Olympic ranking round after the mediocre performances of the German women's archers. "It wasn't quite the start we expected," said Haidn after the women's qualification in Paris. He was not satisfied. "The placement is not fair in my opinion," he added, but also mentioned that "the edges had significantly less wind."
Florian Unruh convinced later in the men's qualification. The 31-year-old, who will also form the German mixed-doubles with Michelle Kroppen, finished third.
The German women's team was in a middle position on the field near the Sainte-Chapelle beforehand. Only Kroppen secured a good starting position for the individual competition coming up with a rank of seven. Katharina Bauer and Charline Schwarz took the places 27 and 45. They will go into the team event on Sunday as Sixth, missing the direct quarterfinal entry. "We have to 'go the harder way'," said Haidn.
"The conditions in the middle were already challenging," explained the trainer. The field was uneven, and there was "significant wind from below" in the middle, making the conditions not equal for all participants. In Haidn's opinion, the world record set by the South Korean archer Sihyeon Lim at the edge would not have worked in the middle. "We'll see good things ahead," said the coach. "We can also deal with wind," said Bauer.
From Sunday, the arrows will fly in the large arena next door. "Everything is possible," said Bauer. That was also shown at the World Championships in Berlin the previous year. The German women had won the title there. The fact that their bow arrived late in Paris due to a luggage mishap was a small shock, explained the 28-year-old. However, it did not affect her in the qualification.
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris approach with challenges for the German women's archery team, as Bundestrainer Oliver Haidn mentioned they have to "go the harder way" following their middle position and unequal conditions during the qualification. Despite these difficulties, Haidn remains optimistic, sharing that "we can also deal with wind."
Regarding the men's qualification, Florian Unruh secured a promising third place, looking forward to competing in the team event at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, alongside Michelle Kroppen.
