Katharina Bauer credited teammate Florian Unruh and coach Oliver Haidn for helping her reach the recurve mixed team gold medal match at Antalya 2025, the third stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup.
Bauer, 29, along with fellow Olympian Unruh sealed their place on recurve Sunday as they overcame Italy’s Roberta Di Francesco and Mauro Nespoli 6-2 in the typical recurve set-play system that included an impressive 40 and 39 in the last two four-arrow ends.
The Vegas Shoot bronze medallist said her performance however was all down to the guidance in between arrows from the more experienced Unruh and head coach Haidn.
“It’s always a pleasure to shoot with him and I’m really happy with today,” said Bauer who just missed out on a mixed team medal in Antalya in April’s Spring Arrows European Grand Prix Leg 1. “I just made my shots, and I didn’t feel any nerves because Flo [Florian Unruh] was really a big help for me, and he always calms me down with his personality because he seems to not be nervous at all.”
“It was the same for me today and with the coach Oliver [Haidn], he always had the right words for me. He always tells me to prepare my shot well, that’s the key for my shot but also like, ‘Calm down, breathe’.”
“He helps me through the shot with some keywords as if we are training normally and he knows exactly when to say them, so this calms me down while competing.”
It is little wonder that Haidn has such profound effects on his archers.
The 54-year-old former German national champion has accumulated over a decade long worth of tutelage at the sport’s highest level since his appointment in 2011 when he replaced Martin Frederick – now the coach of Bangladesh.
