- Cup medal in archery: silver for crop/unrest
Hand in Hand, Michelle Kroppen and Florian Unruh ascended to the winner's podium, where the ecstatic archer wiped away tears from her eyes repeatedly. The German mixed duo won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris and rewarded themselves with a brilliant performance and a medal.
Despite losing the final 0:6 against the clear top favorites Lim Sihyeon and Kim Woojin from South Korea, it was easy to bear - after all, Kroppen and Unruh could celebrate the first German medal ever in this discipline.
"It was very emotional for me. There were already a few tears," said Kroppen. "Being here is already amazing. But then standing up there and enjoying this moment, having this heavy thing around your neck - you're speechless and let your feelings run free." Teammate Unruh told: "It was very, very beautiful on the podium."
First Paris Medal for German Archery Federation
The German Archery Federation celebrated the first medal at the Games in Paris. The archers still have to wait for gold at the Olympics. In the rematch of the World Championship final from last year, the Asians were more experienced than Kroppen and Unruh.
"The Koreans unfortunately used our mistakes well, it was over quickly," analyzed Unruh. "The 0:6 looks harsher than it actually was," said national coach Oliver Haidn. "Korea was a bit better, but we leave the arena with our heads held high."
Spectacular Semi-final
At the World Championships in Berlin in 2023, the two adopted Berliners also won silver after a final defeat. In a different lineup, the South Koreans, who are generally considered the best archers in the world, had already won the Olympic gold three years ago in Tokyo. They also hold the world record in mixed doubles. This was particularly evident in the final, especially from Woojin, "one of the greatest archers of all time," said the German coach Haidn. "He always delivered when they needed him."
Haidn's archers were not far behind, however. Especially in the semi-final against the USA (5:3), Kroppen and Unruh grew beyond themselves in difficult conditions with constantly changing wind. "The semi-final match was one of the best things you've ever seen in archery," praised the national coach. "I'm mightily proud."
After silver in 2016 through Lisa Unruh - Florian Unruh's wife - and bronze in the women's team in 2021 - which also included Kroppen - the Germans once again achieved an archery medal on the biggest stage. Kroppen/Unruh, who were ninth in Japan three years ago, could significantly improve their performance this time.
No Party Before Individual Competitions
However, the big silver celebration will have to wait, as the two are still in action in the individual events over the weekend. Kroppen, who starts for the SV GutsMuths Jena, will face the former world number one Deepika Kumari from India on Saturday (10:22 AM). Berliner Unruh will face the British Tom Hall on Sunday (10:48 AM).
Then the two want to repeat their performance from the mixed event. On the special range in front of the impressive Invalidendom with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the heart of Paris, the German team had already improved significantly against Colombia in the first round (5:4) and even more so against Mexico in the quarter-finals (5:1). The arrows hit the 70-meter distant targets more and more accurately.
The crowning achievement was the semifinal against the formidable American duo Casey Kaufhold/Brady Ellison, who went on to win bronze, and their 5:3 victory. Many shots hitting the 10 brought them into the final showdown.
Targets at 70 meters distance
To score a perfect 10, a target area the size of a CD, with a diameter of just 12.2 centimeters, must be hit. The arrows fly at over 210 km/h towards the target, often curving more than three meters in height, depending on the wind.
Especially Florian Unruh was in great form, despite challenging conditions at times. After his silver win, he was also asked about his wife, who had already brought home two Olympic medals. "I've got to try and catch up and have a medal of my own. It's just incredibly beautiful," he responded.
During the post-match interview, Florian Unruh expressed his enthusiasm for the summer game, saying, "It's just incredibly beautiful to participate in this summer game." Later, discussing their upcoming individual competitions, Michelle Kroppen and Florian Unruh mentioned their plans to excel in their respective events, aiming to add more silver medals to their collection in this summer game.
