Alexis Ruiz completes impressive debut season with first career stage victory

Alexis Ruiz beat Sophie Dodemont of France in the compound women’s gold medal match in Berlin to win her first career stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup and cap an impressive debut season.

The 19-year-old took bronze medals at the first two stages and silver at the third. With this gold, she becomes the only archer to medal at each of the four stages of the international circuit in 2019.

“It means everything. I worked so hard this year. Being on the finals on every stage, I think it all led up to this,” said Ruiz.

Against defending stage winner Dodemont, Alexis won small ground after three arrows only to lose it one end later. She took advantage of a seven from Sophie with her eighth arrow to open a two-point lead, 86-84, with two ends remaining.

Alexis found herself needing a seven to win with her final arrow. It was obviously in her mind – as the rookie sent a wild shot, landing an eight. It was still enough.

“I was trying to get it off right, but it got my head too much. It also got really windy on that last arrows, like the first couple that I had, so the wind kind of took it, but I just got it where I needed to,” she said.

The top two archers in the world ranking, Colombia’s Sara Lopez and Turkey’s Yesim Bostan, contested the bronze medal match.

Tied after the first nine arrows at 89 points apiece, Yesim then landed a perfect 30-point end to Sara’s 29 to take a one-point lead, 119-118.

Lopez opened the last end with a nine, Bostan followed with an eight. A pair of 10s from both archers meant the match was tied at 147 at the end of regulation. A tiebreaker was required.

Lopez, shooting first, landed a left nine, just out of the 10; Bostan, needing a 10 for victory and her first win over the Colombian archer, landed a low-right eight.

Ruiz, Lopez, So Chaewon and Danelle Wentzel are qualified for the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final as stage winners. Toja Ellison, Tanja Jensen and Sophie Dodemont make it on points.

​The fourth stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place on 1-7 July in Berlin, Germany.