There were two single-nation match-ups in the compound women’s competition – with one all-Russia match and one all-Colombia – and another all-France in the men’s.
Facing a teammate in the first round at an Archery World Cup Final, as we found out, brings mixed feelings.
To a single athlete, all concerned said they would have preferred to meet someone else. But, at the same time, there’s the consolation – for the team’s good – that one athlete from the nation is sure to make the semifinals.
“Yes, we’re a little divided, there’s an emotional side that emerges. It’s an opponent and at the same time a friend as well, so it’s not simple,” explained Dominique Genet, noting that it was a bit of sore spot. Genet ended up upsetting his French opponent, friend and the world number one, 145-144.
“It’s not easy,” continued Genet. “Already matches between French archers in minor events are not easy, and this is special.”
His opponent, Sebastien Peineau, said the match-up was unpleasant, but admitted it might have put a little less stress on the quarterfinal since the pair could talk about it openly.
“It’s good for the coach,” added Dominique. And good for him, as after the first-match win, he’d represent French interests the rest of the way. Genet’s highest previous finish at an Archery World Cup was fourth at Paris 2013.
For Sara Lopez, top seeded archer in the compound women’s competition, this kind of event is not about personal gain, but about winning for the country: “It’s really hard because you want to win but you also want your country to win. If you beat your teammate then you’ve got one less chance left for your nation.”
In her opinion, knowing an opponent might be an advantage, since you’ll know how they shoot.
That might not make it easier, though, because the same will apply in the opposite direct: “You know how to beat her, but she also knows how to beat you!”
Sara had teammate Alejandra Usquiano as opponent on Saturday morning on the Plaza de la Constitución in Mexico City. It was difficult to call a winner prior to the match, as both boast a previous Archery World Cup Final gold medal: Sara is the reigning Champion from Lausanne and Alejandra won one year before in Paris.
“I think it will be a good match,” Alejandra said, before taking to the field. “It’s important that Colombia is being represented out there and that whoever of us wins, we will be representing our country the best as possible in the next matches.”
And a good match it was... for Sara, who shot three of five possible perfect-30s, and a pair of 29s, for two-points shy of perfect: 148 to Usquiano’s 140.
According to second seed Natalia Avdeeva, shooting against a teammate is quite normal because she faces Mariia Vinogradova often in competitions in Russia.
She found it hard, though: “I want my teammate to be in the semifinals, but it’s fortune and now we have to go out and shoot.”
“We are friends and we are in one team, so it’s really bad,” added Mariia.
Despite the “normality” of the situation, the two Russian athletes looked pretty nervous on the field. Both put in reds, and Natalia missed the target face with her second arrow of the second end, putting her far behind and with little chance to recover.
The 27-year-old lost, 135-127. (Low scores for compound competition.)
None of the six archers in the three single-nation matches said they prepared any differently than normal.
“I know I just have to shoot my arrows,” said Lopez. “I never pay attention to others’ scores, I always do my best and hope for the best.”
One all-nation quarterfinal remains at Mexico City 2015, when three-time Archery World Cup Champion Brady Ellison and his USA teammate Collin Klimitchek square off to start their campaigns on recurve Sunday.
