Read the rest of our event previews:
- #1 Recurve men (18 July)
- #2 Recurve women (19 July)
- #3 Barebow men (20 July)
- #4 Barebow women (21 July)
- #5 Compound men (22 July)
- #6 Compound women (23 July)
Event #6: Compound women
- Number of athletes: 24
- Number of nations: 20
- Defending Champion: Erika Jones (not competing)
- World Champion: Kim Yunhee (not competing)
The one-to-beat
Although now back in second in the world rankings after spending a record 1033 days on top, Lopez – gold medallist at stage one this season and a podium finisher at the other two – is still the compound woman to beat. Survive her in a head-to-head match, and you’re much likelier to have a shot at winning an event.
The story
Like Lopez, Sarah Sonnichsen has also medalled at each Hyundai Archery World Cup stage in 2017, coming second in Shanghai and Salt Lake and winning Antalya.
Arriving in Wroclaw atop the world rankings, her lead is just six points (256.95 to Lopez’s 250.4). A win at the World Games would secure her position - anything less, especially a lower finish than her Colombian rival, could weaken it.
The athletes
Country-by-country, all 24 compound women competing at the Wroclaw 2017 World Games.
Australia 
Archers: Sherry Gale, Louise Redman
Intel: Louise has a sprinkling of international experience dating back to 2015, Sherry a handful more – and going back further, to the worlds in 2007. Neither has many match wins under their belt but Redman has been active on the world stage of late. Gale’s last big international competition came in 2013.
Short: World Games debutants.
Belgium 
Archers: Sarah Prieels
Intel: Through three Hyundai Archery World Cup stages in 2017, Prieels has recorded three top eight finishes: one bronze medal, a sixth and a fifth. Up to number three in the world rankings for the first time, she’s having a career season.
Short: Expectations high.
Colombia 
Archers: Sara Lopez
Intel: World number one for an incredible 1033 days from 2014-2017, Lopez is also the world record holder for the compound 72-arrow qualification round and 15-arrow match at 50 metres. She’s not unbeatable like she seemed in 2016 right now, but still a force to be reckoned with.
Lopez has the highest average arrow score and highest win percentage of all the compound women in Wroclaw.
Short: One favourite…
Denmark 
Archers: Sarah Sonnichsen
Intel: The heir to Lopez’s number one spot, Sonnichsen emerged as a podium finisher in early 2016 and has continued her form into this season, winning her first Hyundai Archery World Cup stage in Antalya.
Sonnichsen has the second highest average arrow score and second highest win percentage of all the compound women in Wroclaw.
Short: …the other favourite.
Egypt 
Archers: Nancy Elgibily
Intel: This Egyptian archer’s best finish came at the 2015 World Archery Championships in Copenhagen, when she made the third round (before losing to the Spanish athlete listed below). A two-time medallist at the African championships, Elgibily competed in three past World Cup stages – two in Wroclaw.
Short: Everything to gain.
Spain 
Archers: Andrea Marcos
Intel: Marcos won her first stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in 2015 and her second, two years later, in 2017. Regularly a finisher within the top 10, the Spaniard shoots better in matches than in qualification.
Short: Medal potential.
France 
Archers: Amelie Sancenot
Intel: A youth medallist at the European level, 20-year-old Sancenot has become one half of a consistent French mixed team offering. She took a silver medal in the event at the worlds in Copenhagen in 2015, a gold in Shanghai in 2016 and has finished fourth, fifth and ninth in pairs play on the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit so far this season.
Short: Mixed team medallist?
Iran 
Archers: Parisa Baratchi
Intel: Somewhat quietly, 30-year-old Parisa has climbed up into ninth in the world rankings off the back of consistent finishes at international events. She came fourth in Antalya and seventh in Shanghai in 2017, and won her place to Wroclaw with a gold medal at the Asia Cup in Bangkok.
Short: About to break out.
Italy 
Archers: Marcella Tonioli
Intel: The reigning Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion is winning less matches in 2017 (58%) than her career 66% record. A two-time mixed team world champion, Marcella doesn’t have a man to partner with in Wroclaw, so can focus on her individual competition – and finding the form that got her gold in Odense.
Short: Pivot point in season.
Korea 
Archers: Song Yun Soo
Intel: Recognisable on the Korean compound women’s team as its diminutive member, world number 17 Yun Soo has taken team gold medals with her squad twice in 2017 on the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit. The reigning Universiade champ, she’s searching for her first individual podium at the world level after coming fourth in Salt Lake.
Short: Top eight minimum.
Mexico 
Archers: Linda Ochoa-Anderson, Stephanie Salinas
Intel: These two archers finished third (Ochoa) and fourth (Salinas) at their home Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Mexico City in 2015 – and have both climbed podiums on the world circuit. Arriving in Wroclaw, Ochoa-Anderson is in better form, shooting a 9.6 average arrow compared to her career average of 9.48.
Short: A pair with pedigree.
Namibia 
Archers: Ilana Malan
Intel: Ilana and compound man Louw Nel are the only two athletes from Namibia competing at these World Games in Wroclaw, Poland. Malan, 42, has competed at one previous world event, the Antalya stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in 2016.
Short: Flying the flag.
Netherlands 
Archers: Sanne de Laat
Intel: A young archer who made her jump to the senior level in 2016, Sanne secured her first world medal in Salt Lake with the Dutch women’s squad when they finished second. The 22-year-old was only beaten in the individual event by Andrea Marcos, and in a shoot-off where the pair both shot a 10, but the latter’s was closer. Marcos went on to win in Salt Lake.
Short: Up and comer.
Philippines 
Archers: Amaya Amparo Cojuangco
Intel: Conjuangco finished second at the Asia Cup in Bangkok in spring 2017, securing her place in Wroclaw. A long-time and successful medallist on the Asian circuit, her lone world medal came as part of the Philippines compound women’s team at the 2006 World Cup stage in Shanghai.
The 31-year-old took a break to have a baby, but has returned to the international scene.
Short: 11 years of international experience.
Poland 
Archers: Mariya Shkolna
Intel: The host’s representative in the compound women’s competition in Wroclaw. After a successful junior career that saw her become world youth indoor champion, she won the team senior worlds when shooting for Ukraine. The 19-year-old switched to Poland over 2016 and returned to the international scene in Antalya this season, where she finished 17th.
Short: Making the leap.
Puerto Rico 
Archers: Marla Cintron
Intel: A medallist at continental events in the Americas, 22-year-old recently rose from the junior ranks. She finished ninth at the youth worlds in 2015 and last competed at a World Cup stage in 2016, in Medellin.
Marla has not yet won an individual match at the senior level.
Short: Time for that first match win.
Russia 
Archers: Alexandra Savenkova, Mariia Vinogradova
Intel: Both Savenkova and Vinogradova have won medals as juniors and with the Russian women’s team – but the latter has also found senior success individually, coming second at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in 2015.
Short: Two top 10s.
Slovenia 
Archers: Toja Ellison
Intel: Now married to top recuve archer Brady Ellison, Toja won the world field championships in 2014 and has medalled at the international level, both individually and in the mixed team event. The world number 10 recently said she was focusing less on winning and losing and more on “becoming a better person”.
Short: In the mix.
Chinese Taipei 
Archers: Chen Yi-Hsuan
Intel: Not quite ready for the inaugural compound competition at the Asian Games in 2014, Chinese Taipei’s athletes have progressed considerably in the division over the subsequent couple of years.
Chen has finished top 10 at all three Hyundai Archery World Cup stages this season, and got her first taste of international silverware in Antalya in 2017, in the mixed team, but – as the only athlete from her squad in Wroclaw – will have to go it alone this time.
Short: On the rise.
USA 
Archers: Christie Colin, Cassidy Cox
Intel: Colin and Cox have big shoes to fill. The USA’s Erika Jones won individual and mixed team gold medals in Cali in 2013, the first World Games to include a target archery event for compounders.
Nineteen-year-old Cassidy made her senior debut in 2017, while Christie – although her last world-level event was the World Cup stage in Wroclaw in 2014 – has climbed big podiums before. She finished third at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Tokyo in 2012.
Short: Big shoes.
Prediction
A Sara(h) will climb the podium, for sure, but it’s within Andrea Marcos’ power to upset the final ranking. She’ll do it if she manages to qualify within the top three.
The compound target archery competition at the Wroclaw 2017 World Games starts on 29 July next to Szczytnicki Park.
