In a stunning display of talent at the Krakow-Malopolska 2023 European Games, Spanish archers Canales and Temino Mediel made history by clinching the mixed team gold medal. This distinguished win further solidifies Spain’s growing prowess in archery, following last year’s triumph by fellow countryman Alvarino, who successfully retained the European Championships title.
Temino Mediel, the second seed in individual competitions, showcased his remarkable skill as he partnered with Canales. The 24-year-old archer has previously teamed up with national legend Alvarino, but this event marked a new pinnacle in his career. Canales and Mediel’s victory not only secured them a place in the record books but also underscored their exceptional synergy as a team.
Canales expressed her emotions following the win, highlighting her staggering achievement in the context of her season thus far. “I’m really proud of it because this season I didn’t shoot a 670 in any competition, so that doing in a world championship, it’s better,” she shared. Her qualifying round performance, which equaled her personal best of 673, further underscored her readiness for the challenge.
The duo’s triumph, however, came at a cost to the host nation, Korea, who had begun the recurve week with high expectations. An San and Woojin, the formidable Korean archers, had initially broken the mixed team 144-arrow record with a score of 1393 points. Despite their strong start, An San faced difficulties during her individual match, struggling to land a single arrow in the 10-ring, with one shot veering dangerously close to the six line.
Reflecting on her performance, An San admitted the challenges she encountered during the competitions. “It’s true that it was really hard because the match ended late and I didn’t have a lot of time to recover,” she revealed. Despite the disappointment, she remained grateful for her teammate Woojin’s support and acknowledged a shift in her focus during the transition from the mixed team event to the women’s team event, where Korea ultimately secured a bronze medal.
As the tournament progresses, the archery community is left eager to see how this year’s competitions will shape the future of the sport and whether the Spanish team can build upon their triumphant momentum.
