“I feel powerful here, I believe I can win here again,” said Turkey’s Demir Elmaagacli when asked what his return to the city in which he won the Archery World Cup Final in 2015 would yield.
"World Archery doesn’t show me as a favourite but I can win.”
He was referring to an article picking out a few athletes to watch in Mexico, in which he wasn’t featured.
Though not named in this piece, the world number three – who was undoubtedly a surprise when he took that circuit crown in 2015 – has been a consistent contender ever since.
He’s now made three Hyundai Archery World Cup Finals in a row, coming sixth in 2016 and fourth in 2017.
Elmaagacli hasn’t finished lower than ninth at any international outdoor tournament since late 2015, and picked up his first Hyundai Archery World Cup stage victory in Berlin in 2017.
“The compound men's average arrow here is high, but I’m ranked third [in the world] so it’s okay. It’s always hard to qualify on top but lovely to be in the top eight. I’m confident,” he said.
Statistically, Demir stacks up.
His average arrow score (9.73) through 2017 is ninth of all compound men competing in Mexico City; his match win percentage (73%), fifth.
What’s more, Elmaagacli trained hard for these championships.
He worked on details with his shot, with his equipment and put new vanes on his arrow just yesterday – to make sure everything was perfect.
“I always shoot to win and when I do it, I tell myself: ‘this is how it should be and what you train for’. That’s what I'm repeating in my mind here, too,” he said.
“I expect to shoot over 710 points in qualification.”
“I would like to get some advantage and get a bye with my qualifying score.”
The 2017 World Archery Championships run 15-22 October in Mexico City, Mexico.
