“I can’t believe the score because despite the wind, the weather being a bit crazy, I did it,” said Sara Lopez, immediately after her latest world record score was confirmed.
It was only a month ago that Sara shot 706 for the ranking round during Colombian team selections in Medellin. It was the beginning of what it is shaping up to be another impressive season for the reigning Archery World Cup champion.
She holds the 15-arrow match world record with a perfect 150 10X and she recently shot – again in Colombia – a strong 1416 to set a new national record for the 1440 Round. It could have been also a world best, but unfortunately for her the competition was not world record status.
At halfway in Antalya, Sara was not in front. She was ranked second by one point – 354 to 353 – to former recurve archer Song Yun Soo from Korea, the fourth member of the nation’s team.
“I knew I needed to keep doing better to keep my record,” said Sara.
Saying she trusted herself more these days and did not look at her scores while competing to avoid getting nervous, Colombian Sara leant on her belief in her teammates and in her bow to keep shooting good arrows.
All but 12 arrows planted into the 10-ring during Sara’s Antalya qualification round.
“I feel like this is a team effort. My teammates have been a great support so far as we don’t have any of our compound coaches in Antalya with us.”
Reigning team world champion with compatriots Maja Marcen and Alejandra Usquiano, the trio has plans to improve their result from Shanghai where they finished fourth to Russia.
“We love shooting here,” Sara added. “It is where we always shoot our best scores.” It was not far down the road that the girls won their world title at the Belek 2013 Championships.
“I think we will keep getting better and more good scores will come for me and the team.”
As a trio, the Colombians took Antalya second seed behind Korea and Yun Soo, who dropped down the ranking list over the second half of the round and finished eighth individually. Mexico had the third seed.
Finalist on the Archery World Cup last year Toja Cerne had 702 total for second individual seed, the Slovenian athlete the only other athlete over the 700-point mark.
Tanja Jensen from Denmark checked in third five points behind her to round out the top three.
