Two-time Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion Sara Lopez will end 2016 as the world number one ranked compound woman for the third year in a row. Although she did not compete at the season-ending Hyundai Archery World Cup Final, Lopez had an incredible year – remaining unbeaten in matchplay at world-level competition.
Choi Misun will remain on top of the recurve women’s list for a second year, while Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Ku Bonchan and Mike Schloesser ascend to the year-ending primary spots in the recurve men’s and compound men’s lists, each for the first time.
Since the start of the World Cup-era, no athlete has topped a ranking list for more consecutive days than Lopez, who – as of 31 December 2016 – has accrued 859 days in a row.
Brady Ellison previously ranked first for 602 days from 10 August 2011 to 3 April 2013, while PJ Deloche’s reign from 7 October 2013 to 31 May 2015 was just a single day shorter at 601.
Since 1 April 2006, when the Hyundai Archery World Cup launched, only one archer has accrued more days ranked number one in total than Lopez (not consecutively). Korean recurve woman Yun Ok Hee, who won gold at the international circuit final in 2010 and 2013, plus took bronzes in 2008 and 2009, racked up an impressive 1195 days atop the world ranking list.
If Sara Lopez’s form continues, and she can defend her position another season, she’ll break that mark sometime in November 2017.
Thanks to World Archery Results for the historical world ranking statistics.
