Meissner matches Gibson’s world-record score as qualification concludes at GT Open

Ella Gibson broke a five-year-old world record by shooting 596 out of a possible 600 points during qualification at the GT Open on Friday 22 November.

Just one day later, Janine Meissner matched it.

The record will remain Ella’s since she recorded the result a full day prior. (If the scores had been shot on the same day then the record would be shared.)

Competition in the compound women’s category is heating up.

“In practice, I’d been shooting scores close but had never broken 595,” said Gibson. “I’m so happy I managed to do it at a big event. It feels surreal.”

The 19-year-old Brit shot her first international season in 2019 and is ranked 29th in the world.

Meissner is the world number 31. Aged 25 this indoor season, she won the Nimes Tournament last winter.

Despite Gibson breaking the world record, Meissner takes top seed at the GT Open. Since the pair tied in competition – and on 10-count – the tiebreak is decided by a coin flip.

Ella is the world record holder – but relegated to second in the rankings in Luxembourg.

There was a coin flip at the top of compound men’s qualification, too. Mike Schloesser and Stephan Hansen both came in one point down on 599 points. Schloesser, the runner-up at the first Indoor Archery World Series event in Macau, took top seed.

“There are a lot of good people here and, I knew, with 598s shot on the first day that I had to bring my top game,” said Mike.

The reigning Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion singled out Hansen – who was second to shoot a perfect 600-point indoor round after Schloesser – as a reason for realism.

“I’m happy with how I shot, for the most part, and that’s the main thing,” he added.

A total of 24 compound men shot 590 points or more for the 60-arrow 18-metre ranking round at the GT Open in 2019. The top-32 cut was made at 587 points.

German archer Cedric Rieger ranked first in the recurve men’s event with 596 points.

Reiger, along with Florian Kahllund and Elena Richter, is representing Beiter in the team event on the 2020 Indoor Archery World Series.

Korea’s archer Kim Young Kyeong was the top scorer over the recurve women’s ranking round with 590 points. Olympic Champion Chang Hye Jin and Wi Naeyon – Kim’s LH pro teammates – had 588 and 583 points. But the trio didn’t take the top three seeds.

Last year’s GT Open winner Casey Kaufhold slipped in at second in the ranking with 589 points.

(That matches the cadet world record she shot in Luxembourg one year ago.)

All four top seeds survived the first round of eliminations at the GT Open. Eliminations continue through to finals on Sunday 24 November.

The second event of the 2020 Indoor Archery World Series is the GT Open on Friday 22 to Sunday 24 November 2019.