Alberto Simonelli puts four points on 18-metre para world record

Alberto Simonelli’s qualification from the 2019 Nimes Archery Tournament has been ratified as a new para archery world record after he shot 594 out of a possible 600 points for the 60-arrow 18-metre ranking round.

He had held the record at 590 points since February 2018.

“This record is repayment for a bit of a bad period. I’ve spent three months between home and hospital because of  phlebitis in my leg and blood infection,” said Simonelli.

“After a long period without training, I shot 590 at two different events in Italy. I’m not at my best yet but after the first half [in Nimes], I said to myself, ‘I’m still able to shoot’.”

The record score qualified him 19th in Nimes, where the compound men’s top-32 cut hit 590 points for the first time in the event’s 21-year history.

He was subsequently eliminated by David Houser, 148-144, in the first round.

Alberto Simonelli is a three-time Paralympian. He won silver medals in the compound open events at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

He competed at the both the para and able-bodied world championships in 2017, and has been a member of Italy’s Hyundai Archery World Cup squad for the past two seasons.

Simonelli will attempt to qualify for his fourth Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.

A world record has been shot at all four stages of the 2019 Indoor Archery World Series to date.

Casey Kaufhold beat the recurve cadet women’s qualifying score at the GT Open; Ryoo Su Jang set a new recurve women’s mark at the Macau Open; the compound junior and cadet women’s records fell to Faith Miller at the Roma Trophy; and now Simonelli’s score in Nimes makes it four world records from four events.

The Nimes Archery Tournament is the fourth stage of the 2019 Indoor Archery World Series.