NOVE MESTO, Czech Republic – Jason Tabansky may have been far from home, but nothing was going to stop him celebrating the USA’s 250th birthday and he did so in style by winning gold in Stage #2 of the World Archery Para Series.
“It’s fourth of July,” Tabansky told archery+. “It’s America’s Independence Day, so what a better day to win a gold medal for my country than this. I’m fighting back tears because it is amazing.”
Tabansky finished sixth in qualification in the W1 division, some 25 points behind top seed Maurizio Panella (ITA), the man he would meet in the gold medal match on Saturday afternoon.
In between, the 2024 Paralympic champion defeated Adil Mohamed Nazir Ansari (IND), local favorite and two-time Paralympic gold medalist David Drahoninsky (CZE), and then Hong Jo Park (KOR).
Tabansky took a 4-0 lead against Panella before the Italian reduced the deficit in the third end. The world number one responded with another score of 27 in end number four, which proved decisive, handing Tabansky a 6-2 victory. (Full results)
“This tournament has always been special for me,” continued Tabansky. “This was my very first international tournament eight years ago, so I’ve made it a goal to make it to the finals for this tournament.
“The beginning of the week was so hot that I just could not control my body temperature, and it was affecting me really bad, but when I qualified a lot of things started feeling similar.
“I qualified in sixth – I qualified sixth in Paris (at the Paralympic Games). I had to shoot against David Drahoninsky – I had to shoot against David in Paris. And then my semifinal match was either Paolo Tonon (ITA) (or Hong Jo Park), and he was my semifinal match in Paris, so a lot of things felt similar.
“So, I just kept on thinking what the coaches have told me, ‘you do not win a medal in qualification, you win it in matches’.”
And that is precisely what Tabansky did, adding gold to the silver he won in Stage #1 of the inaugural series, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand in April.
The USA were on the podium on Friday with silver in the para compound men’s doubles. KJ Polish – who took fifth in the individual event, having headed into eliminations as the top seed – teamed up with Ephraim Tonn-Bourg. They narrowly lost 153-152 to Great Britain.
Candice Caesar and Karen Sternfeld fought back in their para recurve women’s doubles bronze medal match against Germany to force a shootoff but ultimately had to settle for fourth.
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EVENT |
DATE |
LOCATION |
|
World Archery Para Series - Stage 1 |
March 30-April 4 |
Bangkok, Thailand |
|
World Archery Para Series - Stage 2 |
June 28-July 4 |
Nove Mesto, Czech Republic |
|
World Archery Para Series - Stage 3 |
September 1-6 |
Ahmedabad, India |
|
World Archery Para Series - Stage 4 |
October 13-18 |
Santiago, Chile |
|
World Archery Para Series - Stage 5 |
November 6-14 |
Dubai, UAE |
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