WAIS archer Taylor Worth has won a silver medal at the Shanghai Archery World Cup in China as part of the Australian recurve team before also placing fourth in the individual competition after qualifying for the broze medal shoot-out.
Worth combined with compatriots Matt Gray and Ryan Tyack to take on a red-hot Japan in the men’s team final, coming up short against a scintilating Japanese outfit, that claimed the title in three straight sets.
Worth’s Australian teammate Matt Gray conceded that they had been outshot in the final.
“Japan didn’t leave us any chance of winning a set,” Gray told tournament media afterwards, adding “They shot extremely well. They started very strongly and finished very strongly.”
Despite being outclassed in the gold medal match, it was the first international world cup medal for an Australian team since 2008, which Gray said would give the team confidence ahead of next year’s peak event and the following year’s Rio Olympic Games.
“The team competition is a great experience,” he said. “Hopefully before Denmark (Copenhagen World Championships in 2015) and Rio 2016 we can win more medals for Australia.
Worth, who competed for Australia at the 2012 London Olympic Games, took to social media following his team’s medal success to praise his teammates.
“A huge congratulations to Ryan Tyack and Matt Gray on our team silver medal match,” he said via Instagram having posted a picture of his silver medal. “So proud to have stood on the podium with my friends,” he added.
Worth also narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the third place shootoff in the inidividual recurve competition.
Again speaking via social media he said of his defeat, “Fourth place again for me. A little unlucky but I gained invaluable experience that I wouldn’t get anywhere else.”
“Time to train hard and try again next year.”
