PARIS (AP) — American archers Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufhold have been winning medals together for five years in the roles of mentor and student.
Kaufhold was just 15 when she teamed up with the veteran Ellison in 2019 to earn silver at a World Cup event and gold at the Pan-American Games.
They’ve done it again, defeating Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara of India 6-2 to claim Olympic bronze in the mixed team category on Friday.
It’s been a perfect pairing for Ellison, 35, and Kaufhold, 20. Ellison has touted Kaufhold’s exceptional raw talent while Kaufhold has appreciated Ellison’s skill and encouragement.
Kaufhold said Ellison came through again on Friday.
“He is my rock,” Kaufhold said. “Any nerves I had, he talked me through every single moment. I couldn’t ask for a better mixed team partner. He’s brought so much wisdom into my archery. I can’t thank him enough for everything.”
Though Kaufhold became the first American woman to medal since the United States earned a team title in 1988, she expected a bit more in Paris. She entered the Games ranked No. 1 in the world in the individual category but failed to reach the semifinals.
She said things turned out the way they did for a reason.
“When I walked off the stage yesterday feeling like I didn’t perform to my fullest potential, I felt that there was still a place for me to do it here,” she said. “I woke up today and felt like today’s the day for a medal.”
Ellison said that’s the kind of resilience he’s come to expect from his teammate.
“She was upset yesterday after the individuals, and to come out here and prove that she’s a champion – she completely switched, shot great today and we came away with a medal,” he said. “It just goes to show her mental toughness and her skill.”
It is Ellison’s fourth career medal in five Olympic trips. He became the first American archer to claim four medals and he still has a shot at an individual medal on Sunday.
Ellison said the rest of the world focuses on individual honors, but he enjoys winning team medals most because he gets to share the moment. He said Friday’s result takes pressure off heading into Sunday.
“Going into the individual — I’ve come away with a medal from here, and I’m just going to go shoot and see what happens,” he said. “I don’t have to push or anything now. I’m an Olympic medalist again.”
India missed an opportunity to claim its first medal after having two shots score seven points and two score eight.
South Korea rolled past Germany 6-0 in the gold-medal match to win the category for the second straight Olympics. Kim Woo-jin and Lim Sih-yeon already won gold medals in the team men’s and women’s events, respectively. It was Kim’s fourth overall Olympic medal over three Olympics. He also will compete in the individual event.
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