Mete Gazoz aims for two medals at 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
14:41, 18/09/2026, FridayU: Update: 14:52, 18/09/2026, Friday
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Turkish archer Mete Gazoz Olympic champion Mete Gazoz told Anadolu he feels "completely ready" for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, targeting podium finishes in both individual and team events following his Tokyo gold and Paris team medal while Türkiye's archers wrapped their 2026 season in Antalya.
Turkish archer Mete Gazoz has set his sights on winning two medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Speaking during a national team camp in Antalya, he declared he feels "completely ready" to surpass his achievements at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Double target
Gazoz, who claimed individual gold at the Tokyo Olympics and contributed to Türkiye's team medal at Paris 2024, said he aims to reach the podium in both disciplines when the Games open in Los Angeles. "I won an individual medal in Tokyo, and we won a team medal in Paris. In Los Angeles, I want to win both medals," he told Anadolu Agency. "I feel completely ready for the Olympics. The 2028 Games will be better than Tokyo and Paris," he added.
World Championships push
The archer pointed to a successful 2026 campaign as evidence of Türkiye's rising form, highlighting seven World Cup medals alongside strong showings at the European Championships and Mediterranean Games. "We had a wonderful year as Turkish archery in 2026," Gazoz said. "It was a year that gave us hope for 2027 and showed our rivals that they should be wary of us."
With Olympic qualification beginning in 2027, Gazoz identified the upcoming World Championships as the critical path to securing quota places for Los Angeles. "There is a World Championships next year. I want to secure the Olympic quota by becoming world champion," he stated. He noted that the men's team also seeks to claim the world title and complete what he described as unfinished business from previous campaigns.
Six-point gamble
Gazoz also addressed the controversial final arrow at the fourth World Cup stage in Spain, where he scored exactly six points to secure gold. He attributed the uncharacteristically low score partly to gusty conditions, explaining that a strong wind began during the final series and pushed the arrow into the six-point ring, though he deliberately projected confidence to unsettle opponents. "It became a message to them: 'Whatever score I need, that is what I will shoot.' But that really is how I feel," he added.