Early exit from reigning archery champion: Mete Gazoz defeated by Korean opponent

Mete Gazoz, the reigning Olympic champion, was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the men's individual recurve event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The competition took place at the Invalides venue in Paris.

Gazoz faced the top-seeded South Korean archer Woojin Kim. Gazoz won the first set 28-25 but lost the second and third sets 29-28 and 29-26, respectively, falling behind 4-2. He managed to level the match by winning the fourth set 27-26, but ultimately lost the fifth set 28-26, resulting in a 6-4 defeat.

Mete Gazoz had to bid farewell to the Olympics in the quarterfinals.

Despite this, Gazoz, along with teammates Ulaş Berkim Tümer and Muhammed Abdullah Yıldırmış, secured a bronze medal in the men's team recurve event, marking a significant achievement for Turkey in archery at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"HAPPY AND SAD AT THE SAME TIME"

Following the quarterfinal match, Mete Gazoz shared his thoughts with the press. He expressed mixed feelings, reflecting on both the successes and the disappointments of the week.

"We started the week well, winning a bronze medal in the team event with Berkim Tümer and Muhammed Abdullah Yıldırmış," Gazoz said. "It's the first time we've won a team medal at the Olympics. Overall, the week went very well. Looking back, there's a Turkish team on the podium again, so as a team, we're not too unhappy. Individually, I could have won another gold. I had the chance during the match but didn't seize it. I needed to shoot a 10 on my last arrow, but this time I didn't make it. So, I'm happy but also a bit disappointed."

Gazoz noted that the wind affected his performance during the quarterfinal match. "We'll turn back and work even harder over the next four years. We'll train more and be better prepared for 2028. Turkish archery is setting expectations for medals, and that's actually our success. We did win a medal. The important thing is to always be on the podium at every Olympics. We felt everyone's support behind us, and we are very grateful."

Göktuğ Ergin, the head coach of the national archery teams, also expressed pride in his athletes' performances. He highlighted their preparedness and resilience:

"We came here with a team capable of competing for four medals, which hasn't happened in a long time. Our athletes were in top form, capable of winning every match they competed in. Winning a medal in the team event made us very happy. We started very well. None of our athletes lost by being outperformed or outclassed by their opponents. On the contrary, we were very close to winning in every match. I'm very satisfied with my athletes' performances and proud of them. I hope we can come back stronger for the next Olympics and turn what we now call bad luck into victories."