Medellin replaces Salt Lake City on Hyundai Archery World Cup calendar in 2019

World Archery has announced that Medellin, Colombia has replaced Salt Lake City, USA in the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup calendar, as the Americas stage of the international tour is moved to the start of the season.

Salt Lake City was initially planned for the summer but with back-to-back world championships and the Olympic test event occupying the agenda in the middle of the year, the international schedule was becoming too busy. It was decided to move the tournament to the start of the year, making the US city an unsuitable host due to expected weather conditions.

Medellin, which hosted a stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup from 2013 to 2016 and held the Pan American Championships in 2018, was found as a viable replacement.

The 2019 stage is expected to be held in the last week of April, shortly before the traditional opening leg in Shanghai, China. European events in Antalya, Turkey and Berlin, Germany complete the four legs, with the venue and date for the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final yet to be announced.

World Archery secretary general Tom Dielen said: “Scheduling international tournaments is becoming ever-more difficult. We are happy to have found a solution to maximise participation in the Americas stage of the circuit and allow teams to focus on other important events in the middle of 2019.”

“Our gratitude goes to both organisers, in Salt Lake City and Medellin, for finding a solution, and we look forward to being back in the USA soon.”

Salt Lake City organiser Greg Easton said: “It has been a pleasure to welcome athletes from around the globe to our Easton Salt Lake Archery Centre for the past two years and we hope to see many more here for future events.”

World Archery Americas president Maria Emma Gaviria said: “It is important that the continent continues to host a stage of the international circuit and we hope that this change is an opportunity for more athletes from across the Americas, and the world, to take part in the Hyundai Archery World Cup in 2019.”

The Hyundai Archery World Cup is archery’s annual international circuit, featuring stages in cities around the world and a season-ending invitational final.