French Archer Thomas Chirault Wins Silver Medal in Grand Prix of Umag Individual Event

Frenchman Thomas Chirault won the silver medal this Saturday in the individual event of the Grand Prix of Umag in Croatia. A medal which is added to that obtained Friday with Mélanie Gaubil in mixed doubles.

The final was expected and promised to be the highlight of the show this Saturday in Croatia. French Thomas Chirault was opposed to the reigning Olympic champion, the Turk Mete Gazoz. In windy conditions, the match has long been undecided. After a tied first set, Gazoz scores a 29-point end in the second set to take the lead. The turning point of the match took place in the 3rd set. Chirault makes an excellent start to the end with two arrows in the ten against 10 and 8 for his opponent. On his last arrow, the Clermontois, caught in a flurry, drops a 5. Gazoz shoots 8 and establishes his advantage a little more by leading 5 sets to 1. The Turkish champion then offers himself the last end and at the same time the gold medal.

For Thomas Chirault, this medal is in addition to the silver medal obtained the day before in mixed doubles with Melanie Gaubil. An encouraging double for the rest of the season and which demonstrates his return to the highest level.

Thomas Chirault – Silver medalist
“I’m very very happy with all these results that I managed to get this week. A more complicated final. Everything was going very well on the training ground, there was no air and a front volley to leave, the wind blew in. I couldn’t get my bearings too much and it cost me inaccuracies on the final with sometimes too many arrows and other times not enough counter-aims. There is this decisive arrow on the third set that I drop in the blue for lack of time after having been shaken quite a bit when I had 20 pts before. This arrow changes the course of the match. I suffered a little more than my opponent, who has a more substantial record, but in a match like that, anything can be played out.

I went there with the desire to fight until the end and that’s what I did so there are no regrets. When I see what has been accomplished this week, there are some very nice things and I get a lot of positive experience from it. I have this management of the field in the final which is only improving and it is also a positive point for the future.

I was not selected for the Medellin World Cup so for me the next step is in a month for the last D1 in Boé with my club. Until then, there will also be a few competitions at the weekend to validate the progress in training.”