“Women mixing up European Archery” – this is WAE´s motto to celebrate the International Women´s Day on March 8 th , 2023. Therefore, WAE wants to focus on the reigning female European mixed team Champions and give them the opportunity to give an insight in their archery-lives.
Target Archery
In 2010 in Rovereto (ITA), the mixed team – a female and a male archer of the same bow-class shooting as team – was performed at the European Outdoor Championships for the first time and should prepare the European recurve and Compound archers for this kind of competition at the WA Outdoor Championships in Torino (ITA) in 2011. However, it should take ten years until this competition as part of the Olympic program of Tokyo 2020 was performed in 2021 where Gabriela “Gaby” SCHLOESSER (NED) won Silver with her mixed team partner Steve WIJLER. She is reigning European Recurve mixed team Champion while Tanja GELLENTHIEN (DEN) holds the same title in the Compound division.
Gabriela “Gaby” SCHLOESSER (NED)
Gaby SCHLOESSER (NED) is used to shoot together with different male partners in the mixed team event. After the second place with Steve WILJER at the Olympics in Tokyo, Gaby also took part in the European Field Championships in Poreč (CRO) in 2021 where she and Damiaan JEURISSEN finished eigth. 2022, at the European Outdoor Championships in Munich, Gaby won the Recurve mixed team title with Rick VAN DER VEN.
Tanja GELLENTHIEN (DEN)
In 2021, Tanja GELLENTHIEN (DEN) finished fourth in the Compound mixed team with Mathias FULLERTON at the WA Outdoor Championships in Yankton (USA) and both ended up fifth at the World Games in Birmingham (USA) in 2022. In the same year, Tanja reached Compound mixed team Gold with Stephan HANSEN at the European Outdoor Championships in Munich (GER).
Para-Archery
When the mixed team was performed at Paralympic Games for the first time ever in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Milena OLSZEWSKA (POL) and Jessica “Jess” STRETTON (GBR) went home with medals in the individual competitions. Milena won Bronze in the women´s Recurve Open category and the 16-year- old Jess – being the youngest competing archer at these Paralympics – went home with Gold in the women´s W1 category. Both have been successful in the years to follow and both are reigning European Champions in the mixed teams of their categories. The third female reigning European mixed team Para-archery Champion is Asia PELLIZARI (ITA) in the W1 division.
Milena OLSZEWSKA (POL)
Milena OLSZEWSKA (POL) took Gold with Ireneusz KAPUSTA when the mixed team was successfully held at the European Para-archery Championships in Nottwil (SUI) for the first time in 2014. In 2022, she took Bronze two times at the Para-archery World Championships in Dubai (individual and mixed team) and left the European Championships with Gold in the Recurve Open mixed team again. In that year, Milena´s mixed team partner was Łukasz CISZEK.
1] What personal meaning has this mixed team victory for you among all your previous victories?
For me, winning in the mixed team equals overcoming my limitations and weaknesses. I am an individualist and most of all I enjoy shooting individual duels, so shooting in the mixed team is a step out of my comfort zone. At the European Championships in Rome my coach was Piotr Piątek who competed at the Beijing Olympics. He had been one of my favourite archers many years before and he was supporting me at that time in an important competition, so it was a very symbolic start for me.
2] What is the most important difference between competing in an individual competition and shooting in a mixed team?
Duels shot in mixed team are more dynamic, there is less time to shoot and you have to manage this time well. In Para-archery, we are in position all the time, sometimes you have your partner behind you and you can’t see him, so you have to be more alert and not just focused on yourself. In my opinion, shooting in the mixed team is like sprinting in running.
3] What are your strengths and what are the strengths of your mixed team partner?
I am currently shooting in the mixed team with Łukasz Ciszek. His strengths are his sportsmanship nature and the fact that he is very friendly. You can count on him on and off the stand and shooting with him in the mix gives you a sense of security. My strength is my experience, which makes me calm and composed. We both feel comfortable shooting together.
Jessica “Jess” STRETTON (GBR)
The year 2022 was especially successful for Jessica “Jess” STRETTON (GBR). With the GBR Compound Women´s team she won Gold at the European Outdoor Championships in Munich. In international Para-events the former W1 archer starts in the Compound Open class now. The World Championship-podium in Dubai had already been hers twice (Silver in the double, Bronze in the mixed team), when Jess conquered a full medal-set later the same year at the European Para-Championships in Rome – Bronze as individual, Silver in the double and Gold in the mixed team together with Nathan MacQUEEN.
1] What personal meaning has this mixed team victory for you among all your previous victories?
For me, each and every mixed team victory that I and my shooting partner have shared have been special. There isn’t one that I can pin point and say is the most exceptional as each has come with a different challenge that I, together with either Nathan or Jamie, have overcome.
2] What is the most important difference between competing in an individual competition and shooting in a mixed team?
Shooting in a mixed team for me is a lot of fun, it’s something that me and my partner can do usually while having a laugh and leaning on each other to get the best results. I find shooting in the mixed team takes the pressure off of the competition almost and allows me to enjoy it rather than everything being on one person’s shoulders.
3] What are your strengths and what are the strengths of your mixed team partner?
Every mixed team partnership has its strengths, I like to think that my strength is being able to have a laugh with my partner, no matter who that happens to be on the day. I think that strength is shared across each of us who compete in the British mixed team as we can all have a good time with each other and support each other. We all train together so we all know each other pretty well to be able to give what is needed at the moment it’s needed.
Asia PELLIZARI (ITA)
Asia PELLIZARI (ITA), seventh of the Paralympics Tokyo 2020, conquered the Silver medal with Salvatore DEMETRICO in the W1 mixed team at the WA Para-archery Championships in Dubai in 2022. In the same year at the European Para-archery Championships in Rome, Asia had finished third in the individual W1 competition and had taken Gold together with Paolo TONON in the W1 mixed team.
1] What personal meaning has this mixed team Victory for you among all your previous victories?
Having the possibility of being able to train together every day allows us to have better control of the race against time and therefore to have less stress during the match.
2] What is the most important difference between competing in an individual competition and
shooting in a mixed team?
In the individual match I am alone with my fear and my stress. When shooting in pairs these sensations are more balanced.
3] What are your strengths and what are the strengths of your mixed team partner?
I maintain coolness and concentration. My partner manages difficult times better.