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Sara Lopez soars to seventh World Cup title in Tlaxcala

15 October 2022

Tlaxcala, Mexico

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Sara Lopez clinched her seventh Hyundai Archery World Cup title by beating Ella Gibson in a titanic Tlaxcala tussle.

The Colombian superstar overturned the form guide for a 148-146 victory over Gibson, who beat Lopez in their previous two meetings this season.

Lopez, 27, reversed the result of the World Games and her home World Cup in Medellin to claim an emotional victory.

“I feel satisfaction at this moment because I’ve work really hard to be here now,” Lopez said. “It’s been 10 years of hard sacrifices and today showed me that sacrifices are worth it, that I am on the right path because if I focus on shooting and not only on medals things will work out well because otherwise you will get distracted.”

“My only true ambition is to keep being happy while representing my country.”

Archery fans got the final they craved and expected to see, pitting the winningest athlete in World Cup history against the world number one.

Gibson has dominated the World Cup season, taking gold in Antalya, Paris and Medellin.

This was the Brit’s first World Cup Final and Lopez’s eighth, with the Colombian’s unparalleled experience and composure proving the difference in the big dance.

They marched lockstep in the first end, both shooting 29, but the tide soon turned.

Gibson shot three well-spread nines in the second and Lopez a perfect 30 to jump into an early lead of three.

The Brit responded with a 30 of her own in the third end, cutting the lead to two as Lopez hit 29.

That would to be the last miss of the gold medal final – with both shooting perfect ends in the fourth and fifth – to hand Lopez victory.

“I didn’t want to get distracted. I wanted the advantage I had to calm me but not enough to slow me down,” Sara explained.

“I had a nine that I don’t understand why happened, I felt disconnected at that exact moment, but I kept being calm because I know Ella is capable of shooting 30, 30, 30 so I feel I used that advantage in my favour because it helped me but not distracted me.”