James Lutz and Alexis Ruiz continued their hot streaks in Shanghai 2026 – stage two of the 2026 World Cup – as the pair booked themselves into the compound mixed team gold medal match.
The Americans pipped the Jaatma siblings – Lisell and Robin – to the stage 158-157 in the Yuanshen Sports Centre, which had significantly cooled down in the afternoon from the morning session, with the wind returning to its unpredictable ways as well.
Ruiz is having a sterling week in particular, having secured her first-ever top-seed qualification spot at a World Cup on Tuesday’s 72-arrow round, and Lutz — fresh off his record-breaking 719 at the 2026 Easton Foundations Gator Cup a couple weeks ago — has now reached two finals on his Shanghai debut [comppund men team and mixed] as has his teammate [compound women team and mixed].
“Me and Alexis have been number one in the States for like five years and we’ve never shot together,” said Lutz, who could still make it three out of three finals should he come through tomorrow’s eliminations. “It’s been really pleasant to shoot in here. I’ve never shot in China, and I knew the wind in the stadium here could be a little tricky.
“It was just basically learning that. I’m feeling good going into the matches.”
In a contest that had only one point in it, the semifinal was one of fine margins, with the Jaatmas – guided by their mother and head coach Maarika – but luckily for USA, they had their very best compound exports on the shooting line.
Lutz and Ruiz have been the top archers in their respective genders out of USA for the last five years but, bemusedly, have never won an international medal together as a mixed team duo.
The only time Tlaxcala 2024 World Cup champion Lutz has in fact medalled in mixed team was at Medellin 2022 [silver] with Linda Ochoa-Anderson and then alongside Paige Pearce at the Santiago 2022 Pan American Championships [bronze].
