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Olympic medallists win Mexican nationals to start 2022

2 February 2022

Monterrey, Mexico

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Olympic medallists Luis Alvarez and Alejandra Valencia, who paired to take mixed team bronze at Tokyo 2020, looked in fine form to start the season as they took the titles at the 48th Mexican national championships, which concluded on Sunday 30 January 2022 in Monterrey.

The senior results list was, perhaps unsurprisingly, dominated by Mexican names – but the event was open to foreigners and doubled as a training camp for members of the French international squad. Valencia beat France’s Melanie Gaubil in straight sets to take the women’s title, while Alvarez took defeated Frenchman Clement Jacquey in the men’s gold medal match, 6-2.

National titles were awarded across the age groups and in recurve, compound and barebow categories, as well as in team competitions.

It was there that France’s international experience paid off, with Florian Billoue, Romain Fichet and Jean-Charles Valladont taking recurve men’s gold. But a regional squad from Nuevo Leon – the department in which Monterrey is situated – featuring London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Mariana Avitia and rising star Valentina Vazquez held off Audrey Adiceom, European Champion Lisa Barbelin and Gaubil to ensure the recurve women’s team title remained domestic.

Monterrey regularly hosts major tournaments in Mexico. It also hosted the Pan American Championships at the start of 2021.