Top 5: Best photos from the 2021 World Archery Youth Championships

Shooting pictures at the world youth championships is challenging. It’s partly just because of how many people are there – more than 500 across two age groups in Poland – but also because I always feel like I’m missing something.

Perhaps not there, but for the future.

You never know which of the athletes competing are going to end up being future Olympians, world champions – or even Olympic Champions. Worrying about it is a bit of a fool’s errand.

But it’s certainly nice to look back at youth events that were held a decade ago and spot snaps of the archers who are winning right now. Without the benefit of that hindsight, here are five pictures that I already like from Wroclaw.

1) Smiling (behind the) mask

It’s tough to capture facial expressions with masks being a fact of life at the moment – but the eyes say a lot. This mask certainly put a smile on my face.

2) …with love

This is the young compound team from India showing hearts with their fingers after breaking the world record. This was probably the most successful championships in history for the Indian squad. I can still hear their national anthem playing in my head – after we heard it so many times over the weekend! (Eight, to be exact.)

3) Hope

This is the moment at which the arrow is gone and there’s nothing more you can do… except watch, and hope.

4) Helping hand

There’s not much creativity behind shots of the podium. Of course, they are necessary and valuable – and we often get to see some smiles and tears – but there isn’t so much different from ceremony to ceremony. So when you do capture a moment, like winner Komalika Bari helping Elia Canales and Charline Schwarz onto the top step for a posed shot together, it really brings the podium to life.

5) The Pottses

We don’t know when the last time before this a father-son combo judged the same international event together was but Robert and Graham Potts were in red together in Wroclaw. 

I’ve just realised this list has gotten a little judge heavy…

No matter! Seems like a good time to say… cheers judges, we couldn’t do this without you.

See you at the next one!