At the 2015 World Archery Championships in Copenhagen, Spain qualified a full men's team quota place for Rio 2016 Olympic Games thanks to Miguel Alvarino, Antonio Fernandez and Juan Ignacio Rodriguez. The last time Spain qualified a full team was at Barcelona 1992, where that squad won surprise gold on home soil.
Alvarino, Fernandez and Rodriguez, with teammates Miguel Pifarre and Sergio Del Olmo, underwent a one-year selection process in which results from different national and international tournaments, and technical and physical aspects, were taken into account.
An official statement from the Spanish Archery Federation said that choosing between the athletes took longer than expected. In the end, Alvarino, Fernandez and Rodriguez were selected as the official men’s squad, while Pifarre as the alternate.
“After a hard year in terms of pressure and a high sporting level required, I can finally say that I’m going to Rio,” said Miguel after the announcement. “This is part of a dream that has been in my head ever since I took a bow in my hand. I will fight until my last arrow to get a good result.”
In Antalya, at the Final Qualification Tournament for Rio 2016, Alicia Marin and Adriana Martin made the last eight of the women’s quota tournament, in which seven countries were running for six places.
The Spanish Archery Federation decided that the woman that won the spot would automatically qualify for Rio.
While Alicia lost to Alexandra Mirca in straight sets, Adriana went a full five-sets against Laura Nurmsalu from Estonia to secure her place at the Olympics.
Adriana, 20, will make her Olympic debut in 2016. Although she hasn’t won a medal at international competitions, she’s been a consistent top-20 finisher in all individual, mixed and team events.
Miguel Alvarino, 22, is reigning European Games and Hyundai Archery World Cup Final Champion. Alongside teammates Antonio and Juan, he collected silver in the recurve men’s team competition at the European Games in Baku. At the second stage of the year’s Hyundai Archery World Cup stage, he won silver. Rio 2016 will be his first Olympics.
Antonio Fernandez, 25, will be an Olympic debutant in Rio. He won silver with the recurve men’s team at Baku 2015 and individually, he claimed gold at both the European Grand Prix and the Mediterranean Games in 2013.
Juan Ignacio Rodriguez, 24, has been shooting internationally for five years. An Olympic debutant in Rio, he has three podiums with the recurve men’s team at the 2013 Mediterranean Games, Baku 2015 European Games and second stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup Medellin in 2016.
