Denmark edged Mexico by the finest of margins to lift the compound mixed team title at the World Games in Chengdu, winning 156–155 on the lakeside stage in Qinglong Lake Park and turning a tight duel into a statement result for a nation eyeing Olympic history. How Denmark won a one-point thriller From the very first end, the tone was set. Mathias Fullerton and Sofie Louise Dam Marcussen opened clean while Mexico’s Andrea Becerra and Sebastián García each leaked a point. A solitary nine from Marcussen in the second end gave Mexico a sniff, but the Danes steadied immediately and rebuilt a two-point cushion in the third. Fullerton, Denmark’s closer, was near-flawless. He didn’t stray from the 10-ring until the final arrow of the match – a deliberate nine, he later admitted, with the clock ticking and “a nine good enough” to seal gold. Marcussen called it “amazing… the day we finally showed what we can do as a pair,” praising the team chemistry that kept the pressure at bay. Mexico, for their part, never quite found the run of 10s needed to flip momentum back. For Becerra it was still an upgrade on Birmingham 2022 – where she and Miguel Becerra beat Denmark but missed bronze to India – and she left Chengdu “proud of silver”, especially with close friend García at her side. Why this gold matters for LA28 The win arrives with impeccable timing. Compound mixed team makes its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, and Denmark’s elite are openly targeting that podium. “The Olympics unlocks funding and possibilities,” Fullerton said, adding that a small nation can still be ‘one of the best there is’ – and Chengdu was proof on a global stage. Just as telling was Denmark’s route to the final: they steamrollered Korea in the semi-finals after the youthful duo of Yeeun Moon and Lee Eun-ho had knocked out favourites India in the quarters. Calm execution under pressure is the currency of LA28; Denmark spent lavishly. Bronze match: USA finish strong as Korea falter late The United States claimed bronze, 157–155 over Korea, thanks to a late surge. Curtis Broadnax and Alexis Ruiz cleaned the last two ends, overturning a Korean lead before Lee, tight on time, pushed an arrow low into the eight to hand the Americans the medal. A footnote worth noting: Korea’s box featured recurve icon Im Dong-hyun on coaching duties – a sign their compound project is accelerating fast. Podium, Chengdu 2025 – Compound Mixed Team Gold: Denmark (Mathias Fullerton, Sofie Louise Dam Marcussen) Silver: Mexico (Andrea Becerra, Sebastián García) Bronze: USA (Alexis Ruiz, Curtis Broadnax) The World Games programme moves on to the individual compound finals on Saturday, where many of these names will duel again. If Chengdu’s mixed final is any guide, expect more tight ends, more nerve, and – for Denmark – a growing sense that LA28 isn’t just a dream, it’s a plan. Stay tuned with Euro Weekly News for more news about Denmark