It’s not that Brady Ellison had disappeared.
Far from it. For the past couple of years America’s No. 1 recurve archer has consistently ranked among the top five to eight in the world and has come painfully close to winning some big events.
Ellison earned team silver at the London 2012 Olympic Games, yet ever since coming up short of great expectations in the individual competition, Ellison — still just 25—wasn’t the dominant archer he’d been previously when he ranked No. 1 in the world for nearly two years, starting in 2011.
Ellison won the World Cup Final in 2010 and 2011, but finished second in 2012 and third in 2013. And in the world cup individual stage competitions held across the globe this year, Ellison missed the podium entirely.
So when Ellison won the individual recurve World Cup Final in Lausanne, Switzerland, Sunday (Sept. 7) it was especially sweet.
After winning a one-arrow shoot-off with Brazil’s Marcus D’Almeida in the final, Ellison pumped his fist and let out a howl. He then told a reporter that the victory was a reminder to the rest of the archery world “that I’m still around and still a threat.”
A few days later, back at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, Ellison was still pumped about the significance of the win.
“I was still finishing top eight, but I wasn’t winning everything and being so dominant and so I was just …I don’t know, I just had to remind everyone that I’m still here, don’t forget about me and that I am still someone that you don’t want on your side of the bracket,” he said.