Lutz knocked out defending circuit champion Mathias Fullerton in their quarterfinal match in Yecheon. Fullerton, the top seed, tied with Lutz on 148 points in regulation, but Lutz emerged victorious in the tiebreak with a better shot. Lutz, a former world champion, has three previous stage wins, two in 2019 when he won the worlds and one in 2022. Despite his success on the circuit, he has never advanced past the first match in the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.
In the semifinals in Yecheon, Lutz and fellow US archer Sullivan find themselves on opposite sides of the bracket. Sullivan expressed admiration for Lutz, stating that he has looked up to him throughout his archery career. The windy conditions in Yecheon presented a challenge for many archers throughout the competition, but world number one Schloesser shared that he was able to use the wind to his advantage, giving him confidence in his performance.
The competition in Yecheon will continue with mixed team eliminations on Friday morning, followed by recurve eliminations in the afternoon. The archers are looking forward to the upcoming matches and hope for continued success in this beautiful and challenging range in Yecheon.