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9 archers to watch at the 2017 World Archery Championships

13 October 2017

Mexico City (MEX)

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The 2017 World Archery Championships in Mexico City has 376 athletes from 61 countries registered to compete for world crowns in the four individual compound and recurve, men’s and women’s categories.

With Korea’s Ki Bo Bae and Kim Yunhee out of the running, not attending to defend their titles – and competition tight among the world’s very best – who’ll rise to the top of the crop at Mexico City 2017?

Here’s nine athletes to watch at these worlds…

1. KIM WOOJIN, Korea

Defending World Archery Champion Kim Woojin was recently crowned the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final Champion. He owns a 9.51 average arrow and 81% match win percentage over his career. After medalling at each of the international events he competed in this season, Woojin is the one to beat in Mexico City.

2. LINDA OCHOA-ANDERSON, Mexico

Mexican compound archer Linda Ochoa-Anderson was the only compound woman to shoot over 700 points over the 72-arrow 50-metre ranking round in Berlin, the last stage of the year’s outdoor World Cup circuit. She’s in good form, but not found a seam of luck in elimination matches.

3. BRADEN GELLENTHIEN, USA

After taking gold at the 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Rome, world number four Gellenthien is in prime position to podium in Mexico City. He has a career 9.79 average arrow and a 71% match win percentage – plus he said he’s been training as hard as he has ever trained, throughout this 2017 season.

4. CHANG HYE JIN, Korea

Olympic Champion and world number one, Chang Hye Jin arrives in Mexico as the favourite recurve woman.

5. BRADY ELLISON, USA

Three-time Olympic medallist and world number three Brady Ellison is one of the most consistent men in the recurve division. A world field and five-time Hyundai Archery World Cup Final Champion, Brady is still missing the outdoor title.

And he wants it… bad.

6. STEPHAN HANSEN, Denmark

Defending Champion Stephan Hansen opened the 2017 outdoor season with gold in Shanghai. He came 17th in Antalya and then took silver in Salt Lake before claiming the World Games title in Wroclaw.

He won silver in Berlin and finished second at Rome 2017 to Braden Gellenthien.

7. SARA LOPEZ, Colombia

At 22 years of age, Sara Lopez sat as world number one for 1033 consecutive days until mid-2017. The World Games and Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion this season, Lopez has not yet won the World Archery Championships, but came third in 2015.

8. ALEJANDRA VALENCIA, Mexico

The Rio 2016 fourth-placed woman, Valencia climbed the podium in Berlin (second) and at the Universiade (second, too) in 2017. She’s due a major victory – if she can turn it on in the very last stages of competition.

9. RICARDO SOTO, Chile

Fresh off a bronze medal at the World Archery Youth Championships, the youngest archery Olympian at Rio 2016 is all potential – and thus far, he’s backing it up. A top 10 finish at the worlds (at the age of 17) wouldn’t be a bad result to add to the record.