Preview: Opening weekend for online Indoor Archery World Series

The 2021 Indoor Archery World Series is set to start in a day – not just in one location, but across the globe. More than 2800 recurve, compound and barebow archers are registered to submit a result online.

New rules were introduced for this year’s indoor circuit due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Archers can shoot their 60-arrow, 18-metre rounds anywhere in the world over the weekend of 21-22 November 2020 to participate in stage one. Scores will be displayed live, as they’re submitted, on the World Archery website.

There will also be remote events in December, January and February; a worldwide open ranking will list every archer who participates.

Archers registered for the first stage should have received their scoresheets, which include the QR code required to access the competition on the Ianseo Scorekeeper application, on Thursday 19 November. (Contact competition control if that isn't the case.)

We are also hosting a small invitational event at PH Archery in Wohlen, Switzerland, with finals streamed live across World Archery’s YouTube and Facebook platforms, starting at 16h00 CET on Sunday. Among those competing is reigning Indoor Archery World Series Champion and world number two Mike Schloesser.

Online event

Scores will be submitted in three time zones: Asia/Oceania (UTC+8), Europe/Africa (UTC+1) and the Americas (UTC-5). The competition is open from 08h00 on Saturday and closes at 20h00 on Sunday in each time zone.

Archers can submit their results live, confirming them with pictures of their scorecard and target if shooting at an unofficial venue. Those participating at a registered tournament must score in the application but do not need to provide proof.

Results will be available to view online as they are submitted.

The competition is simple: just 60 arrows at 18 metres, shot at a target face that’s 40 centimetres in diameter. The 10-ring is 2 centimetres in diameter for compound archers and 4 centimetres in diameter for recurve archers. (Archers can use single spot, vertical triple spot or triangular triple spot targets.)

The maximum available score is 600 points.

A number of established international athletes are slated to compete. Make sure to monitor their results as the weekend progresses.

Recurve men: Thomas Chirault, France; Nicholas D’Amour, US Virgin Islands; Michele Frangilli, Italy; Mete Gazoz, Turkey; Ku Bonchan, Korea; Viktor Ruban, Ukraine; and Steve Wijler, Netherlands.

Recurve women: Christine Bjerendal, Sweden; Taru Kuoppa, Finland; Ana Maria Rendon, Colombia; Aida Roman, Mexico; Lisa Unruh, Germany; and Alejandra Valencia, Mexico.

Compound men: Domagoj Buden, Croatia; Martin Damsbo, Denmark; PJ Deloche, France; Kim Jongho, Korea; Danie Oosthuizen, Australia; and Seb Peineau, France.

Compound women: Jane Karla Gogel, Brazil; Amanda Mlinaric, Croatia; Sarah Prieels, Belgium; Alexis Ruiz, USA; Alexandra Savenkova, Russia; and Marcella Tonioli, Italy.

Barebow men: Fredrik Lundmark, Sweden; Erik Jonsson, Sweden; and Ignacio Tobar, Chile.

Barebow women: Lina Bjorklund, Sweden; Cinzia Noziglia, Italy; and Sarah Twomey, Ireland.

If you’re taking part this weekend, share your stories on social media using the hashtags #archery, #IndoorWorldSeries and #BacktoArchery.

Wohlen invitational

Sixteen archers – eight recurves and eight compounds – will shoot their scores for the first stage at our invitational tournament in Wohlen, Switzerland. Athletes from four travelling countries – France, Sweden, Estonia and the Netherlands – join the home nation of Switzerland in our lineup.

Following the 60-arrow, 18-metre round that will count toward the Indoor Archery World Series open ranking, we’ll be having a small matchplay event. There’s a 3400 CHF prize pot, with 500 CHF going to the winner of each category. The finals will be streamed live across World Archery’s digital platforms.

PH Archery, a shop based in Zurich and run by Swiss compound archer Patrizio Hofer, is hosting the event. We will observe strict local health guidelines to ensure the safety of everyone in attendance.

Wohlen Line-up

World ranking given in brackets. (World ranking frozen since early 2020.)

Recurve men: Pierre Plihon, France (14); Florian Faber, Switzerland (60); Thomas Rufer, Switzerland (174); and Valentin Choffat, Switzerland (750).

Plihon is an Olympian from Rio 2016 and has been a regular member of the French squad on the Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit since 2014. Faber and Rufer are experienced internationals for Switzerland.

Recurve women: Gaby Schloesser, Netherlands (15); Erika Jangnas, Sweden (186); Valentine de Giuli, Switzerland (362); and Maxine Pichonnaz, Switzerland (593).

Schloesser (née Bayardo) qualified the Netherlands its first women’s place to the Olympic Games – for Tokyo 2020 – in over two decades with her bronze medal finish at the European Games in Minsk in 2019.

Compound men: Mike Schloesser, Netherlands (2); Patrizio Hofer, Switzerland (81); Roman Haefelfinger, Switzerland (125); and Robin Jaatma, Estonia (126).

Reigning Indoor Archery World Series and Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion Mike Schloesser is the presumptive favourite at almost every event he attends. Hofer was ranked fourth in the world at the height of his career.

Compound women: Meeri-Marita Paas, Estonia (65); Lisell Jaatma, Estonia (69); Clementine de Giuli, Switzerland (359); and Anne-Marie Studer, Switzerland (not ranked).

Runner-up at the Indoor Archery World Series Final in 2020, Jaatma’s world ranking belies her talent. This was to be her season. The 21-year-old was poised for a breakout year on the outdoor circuit in 2021 when the pandemic hit.

What’s next?

The second remote stage of the 2021 Indoor Archery World Series will take place on 19-20 December 2020 and be accompanied by an invitational event, again run in Switzerland. Entries for the online tournament are now open through OpenWAREOS.

Read more about how the circuit works, how clubs can participate and follow scores from the first stage online.

The 2021 Indoor Archery World Series is a mass-participation circuit of live and online archery tournaments.