Kristina Heigenhauser won the compound women’s competition at the World Archery Championships in Belek, Turkey in 2013.
Fast forward four years, in which time she was diagnosed with and successfully treated cancer, and she’s seeded second at the 2017 World Archery 3D Championships in Robion – this time in the barebow event.
“I started shooting the barebow last winter because I needed a lighter drawweight to start with after the cancer treatment and I wanted a bit of a change,” said Kristina.
“For now it’s not a permanent switch! I’m still going to the world championships in Mexico with the compound.”
Heigenhauser scored 769 points over the two-day qualifying round, seven behind Italy’s Cinzia Noziglia, the defending champion and winner of the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw.
Noziglia trailed the German athlete by 15 after the first day but jumped into the lead after all 48 targets. Only one archer, France’s Chantal Porte, scored over 400 points (405) for a day’s shooting.
Twenty-nine-year-old Heigenhauser was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma on 12 August 2016. She finished chemotherapy in January and was given a bill of clean health in March.
“So everything now is about having fun – no matter which bowstyle,” said Kristina, known for winning her compound world title while being a self-proclaimed puncher.
“I simply like aiming and pulling a rigger or releasing… and I’ve never had a nice technique, not with the compound or with the barebow. I’m sure I would be a lot worse with instinctive!”
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Defending compound men’s World Archery 3D Champion Nico Wiener of Austria also topped qualification in Robion.
The other number one seeds were: Irene Franchini, Fredrik Lundmark, Tomas Hanus, Giulia Barbaro, Fabio Pittaluga and Heldis Zahlberger.
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World Archery 3D Championships have taken place every two years since 2013. Four of the eight editions of the event have been hosted in Italy, with Robion – near Avignon – in the south of France welcoming 317 archers in 2017.
The event includes competitions for compound, barebow, longbow and instinctive bowstlyes.
The 2017 World Archery 3D Championships run 18-23 September in Robion, France.
