Ellison makes 6th worlds as US team for Mexico City announced

USA Archery has announced its squad for the 2017 World Archery Championships in Mexico City, taking place in October, following the conclusion of national trials after the Gator Cup tournament in Newberry, Florida on Memorial Weekend. Among the team members named were Olympic medallists Brady Ellison, Khatuna Lorig and Jake Kaminski.

“I’m happy to see great archers selected to the team,” said USA head coach Ki Sik Lee, according to USA Archery. “The women’s divisions were really heated and I’m especially excited by the young women’s group for the compound archers. There is a lot of potential there.” 

“I’m excited to see our country do well, and overall happy to see all the archers performing well in these hard weather conditions. I feel good about our team for the World Championships.”

Paige Pearce, Cassidy Cox – who made her Hyundai Archery World Cup debut this year in Shanghai – and Lexi Keller, who were named as the compound women’s team for Mexico, have an average age of just 20.

The compound men’s trio of Braden Gellenthien, Steve Anderson and Kris Schaff is richer in experience, but will be without veteran Reo Wilde, who finished fourth in selections. Armless archer and Paralympic silver medallist Matt Stutzman, attempting to make his first able-bodied team, finished fifth.

Five-time Olympian Khatuna Lorig came second in the recurve women’s trials, behind only world number 16 Mackenzie Brown. The pair will be joined by 18-year-old Eliana Claps, making her senior international debut after appearing at two World Archery Youth Championships, in Mexico.

Claps beat out La Nola Shepherd in a deciding match, which even went to a shoot-off after a 5-5 set point tie, for the third place.

Four-time Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion Brady Ellison and Jake Kaminski, who both picked up Olympic silver medals in the team events in London and Rio (as well as Ellison’s individual bronze in 2016), finished clear ahead of the rest of the recurve men’s field during the selection process.

Ellison, who will compete at his sixth World Archery Championships in 2017, had his best individual result at the event in 2011, when he finished third in Turin.

Thomas Stanwood was named as the final member of US recurve men’s trio. The 38-year-old competed in only one Archery World Cup stage, in Porec in 2011, in his career – but has been active in domestic competition over the last decade, including making it to the latter stages of trials for the last two Olympic Games.

National teams are permitted to send a maximum of 12 athletes, three per category, to the World Archery Championships – unlike the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit, where a fourth archer per division is allowed.

The 2017 World Archery Championships take place 15 to 22 October in Mexico City, Mexico.