Lopez World Cup Champion for second year in a row!
The reigning Archery World Cup Champion from Lausanne 2014, Sara Lopez lived up to her billing in the Mexican capital.
Impressive in the first round, where she beat teammate Alejandra Usquiano with 148 points out of a possible 150, she took a fright in her semifinal against local favourite Stephanie Salinas.
In that match, Lopez had a three-point lead after two ends, but saw her Mexican opponent score a perfect 30, followed by 29, to force a tie at 114-each and three arrows to go.
“At some point it was a bit windy and I’m not really good with that, but I managed to get past it,” Sara explained afterwards.
Salinas finished with another 29-point series, and after two 10s, Lopez needed one more 10 to qualify for her second World Cup Final gold medal match in two years. World ranked number one, the Colombian archer had experience – and a banked world record for the 15-arrow match – on her side.
She withstood the pressure and launched one last perfect shot. Victory by one point: 144-143.
Sara had one match left to add another major title to her already long list of trophies – and at only 20 years of age – and become the first compound woman to win two Archery World Cup Finals in a row. The USA’s Jamie van Natta, the only other woman in the circuit’s 10-year history with multiple crowns, won her two titles four years apart, in ’08 and 2012.
In the gold medal final, she faced seventh-seeded archer Mariia Vinogradova. The 21-year old Russian had beaten second-ranked teammate Natalia Avdeeva in their quarterfinal and then number-three Linda Ochoa in the semis.
Against top seed Sara, Mariia held for two ends, before falling apart. She dropped an eight in each of the third and fourth ends, and trailed by four points – 115-111 – with only three arrow to go.
Vinogradova started the last end with a seven, followed by nine and 10.
Lopez always says she doesn’t pay attention to her opponent’s score. Whether she was watching Mariia’s arrows or not, she drove her advantage in the match home even further. A perfect 30-point three-arrow series to clinch the match and a secure a second Archery World Cup Final gold medal, 145-137.
“I’m extremely happy,” the new two-time World Cup Champion said. “Today was a really hard day, with lots of pressure, but I enjoyed it – and I’m especially thankful to the Mexicans who supported me out there.”
“When I won the match against Alejandra, I told her that I was going to win this for her, for us and for Colombia. I can’t describe how it feels! This has been an amazing year. Probably the best so far in my career.”
The bronze medal match saw two local competitors, Linda Ochoa and Stephanie Salinas, face off on home soil in front of a Mexican crowd that – for the first time on the day – cheered both competitors on, equally!
Ochoa and Salinas tied after the first and second ends, before the latter put in two 27s and watch as the match slipped away.
“We were lucky to make it to the medal finals,” said Ochoa. “We wish we were shooting for gold, but it was good, anyway.”
She took the bronze medal, 143-140.
“I felt really good, more confident and now I’m celebrating in front of my people! It's an amazing feeling,” she added.
