Favourites India, Mexico lead seedings for final Olympic qualifier

Mexico and India took the top two seeds in the recurve women’s team event at the final qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Ana Vazquez (674), Alejandra Valencia (672) and Aida Roman (647) combined for 1993 points to put Mexico in first, jumping ahead of India by a single point in the final end of the round. 

“I think as a team, we kind of powered-up. I’m even a little bit less nervous because now I’m competing. I’m not thinking about the future, I’m thinking about now,” Vazquez said.

“I know it’s an important moment, and it gives me a bit less pressure. I feel more secure about myself and my team. I think we’re going to make it!”

India's Deepika Kumari shot the top individual score of the morning, hitting 674.

“I feel some pressure because it's the last opportunity to qualify. There’s some pressure, but we are confident,” she said.

Three women’s team quotas for the upcoming Olympics are available in Sunday's tournament; both teams, viewed as favourites in the event, are now in prime position to qualify.

Squads from 28 nations started qualification, but four – Sweden, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan – have already been eliminated, with only 24 making the matchplay phase of the competition, which takes place this afternoon.

The USA, Italy, Denmark, Turkey, France and Poland seeded in the top eight with India and Mexico. These teams receive a bye into the second round.

Seven of the nations in the top eight have already qualified a single recurve women’s quota for the Games and thus will not participate in Monday’s individual tournament in Paris. But Poland has not – and if the team does not win a ticket this afternoon, it will be Magdalena Smialkowska of Poland who starts from pole in that event.

“It surprised me because I got to know just a second ago! I didn’t even know I was so high,” she said. “It was the most important that our team would finish high. We took eighth place, so we can shoot against the top-seeded team, but we will fight.”

Poland is an outsider to qualify a team – but squads only have to string together a few good matches today to spring a surprise.

“It’s the most important competition in four years. We have all waited for that, and we want to qualify for Tokyo,” said Magdalena. “Of course, you have pressure on the back of your head, but I hope we will make it!”

Uzbekistan’s Ziyodakhon Abdusattorova (648) and Slovenia’s Ana Umer (645) came in second and third, respectively.

All 62 women currently eligible for the individual quota places advance to matchplay. The list will be reduced if any archers qualify as a team today instead.

Top 8 seeds: Recurve women’s team

1.  Mexico – 1993
2.  India – 1992
3.  USA – 1981
4.  Italy – 1963
5.  Denmark – 1953
6.  Turkey – 1946
7.  France – 1924
8. Poland – 1917

Top 8 seeds: Recurve women

1. Magdalena Smialkowska, Poland – 653
2. Ziyodakhon Abdusattorova, Uzbekistan – 648
3. Ana Umer, Slovenia – 645
4. Asel Sharbekova, Kyrgyzstan – 644
5. Alina Ilyassova, Kazakhstan – 642
6. Anna Tobolewska, Poland – 637

Romania’s Madalina Amaistroaie, Slovenia’s Spela Fers and two-time Paralympic Champion Zahra Nemati of Iran tied in seventh place on 632; a shoot-off would be required to assign the two spots in the top eight.

This will not take place until the team event is complete, as some athletes may be removed (if they win team quotas).