David Garcia leads barebow men in world field qualifying

Spain’s David Garcia Fernandez scored 687 out of a possible 864 points over the 48-target qualification – 24 unmarked and 24 marked – courses to lead the barebow men’s seeding at the 2018 World Archery Field Championships in Cortina, Italy.

“Yesterday and today were both good days. I think training long distances has helped me improve a lot and gain more experience on how to react to the different situations that you can find out there on the courses,” said David.

The top two seeds at these world field championships get a guaranteed spot in the semifinals. David is already joined in the final four by four-time and defending world champion Erik Jonsson of Sweden.

Garcia Fernandez lost to Jonsson in the final of the last World Archery Field Championships in Dublin.

With both pre-seeded into the latter stages of competition, the stage is almost set for a rematch – if only both athletes can win one last match after the rest of the field complete the shoot-up elimination phase.

In the history of the World Archery Field Championships, Sweden has had the barebow men’s champion 15 times; Spain has had the victor in the division once.

It’s a challenge that David takes seriously.

“I like how technical [field archery] is; it doesn’t give you anything. You make a bad movement and you’ll probably get a bad score,” he said.

“I work full-time but I get to train one hour every single day, from Monday to Friday, and then during weekend as well.”

“It’s been arranged with my wife,” he added, laughing.

A starter in 3D archery and an alumni of the Catalan, then Spanish leagues, Garcia Fernandez shot the 3D Europeans in the late 2000s and became inspired to find success at the international level.

He won a world team silver at the 3D championships in Terni in 2015 and a European title shortly afterwards.

“Another archer then suggested I should try field. I was getting good results with 3D, so I thought it was a good idea. It was only six years ago when I first shot field, but it was only three years ago that I started to take it seriously,” he said.

The “stubborn” Spaniard is indicative of the current wave of elite barebows who form an international community of individuals striving for excellence in a bowstyle that receives little coverage.

“It’s not an easy bow to shoot and it challenges me to do it better, to train and try harder every time. I love that,” he said. “I’m always working on something new, on making better shots, better results and it’s working.”

David’s semifinal in Cortina takes place on Saturday 8 September.

The 2018 World Archery Field Championships take place in Cortina, Italy on 4-9 September.