World Archery executive board names World Cup stage hosts for 2024-2027

The cities that will host stages of archery’s premier international competition circuit, the Archery World Cup, from 2024 to 2027 were selected during World Archery’s executive board meeting, which concluded today in the Turkish coastal resort of Belek.

In the shortened 2024 season, Shanghai (China), Yecheon (Korea) and Antalya (Turkey) will comprise the tour, with the latter also hosting the final qualifier for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

The stages in the 2025-2027 season will take place in Florida’s Haines City (USA), Shanghai (China), Antalya (Turkey) and Madrid (Spain).

Four executive board members – Thomas Han (Korea), Zheng Lixun (China), Crystal Gauvin (USA) and president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener (Türkiye) – did not participate in the discussion or vote to prevent conflicts of interest.

Tournaments will be scheduled according to the previously announced international blocks, with one stage held each month from April to July (June in 2024). The location for each season-ending Hyundai Archery World Cup Final will be announced later.

In 2023, the international circuit will conclude in Mexico for the second straight season – this time in the city of Hermosillo in the northern state of Sonora – after four stages in Antalya (Turkey), Medellin (Colombia) and Paris (France), and one city still to be decided.

The 2024 World Archery Field Championships were awarded to Lac La Biche (Canada), which previously held the world 3D championships in 2019.

Taipei will remain a stop on the Indoor Archery World Series in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with a 250-level event at the World Archery Excellence Centre in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne (Switzerland) also joining next season.

The executive board passed a transgender policy in principle, following the International Olympic Committee’s framework released in November 2021. Details will be published early in 2023.

A number of bylaws were also accepted, including standardising the 150-centimetre minimum length for longbow and updating several rules for para archery, most importantly a change in standard terminology from ‘assistive devices’ to ‘adaptive equipment’. The 30-second-per-arrow timing rule was also clarified. National events will use 40 seconds as standard with an option to reduce to the 30 seconds applied at world ranking competitions.

Approved bylaws will come into effect on 1 March 2023.

The board received an update on the federation’s budgets and approved a multi-year financial programme, reviewed the events held during 2022 and the accompanying broadcast figures, which saw the Hyundai Archery World Cup achieve record viewing figures.

There was also a discussion on the situation with Russia and Belarus. Board member Vladimir Esheev was not present for this portion of the agenda. The board elected to maintain its current position.

This was the first executive board meeting for Crystal Gauvin, who was made chair of the athletes committee in September.

The next meeting is scheduled to take place ahead of World Archery Congress in Berlin in July 2023.

World Archery president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener said:

“It was a pleasure to meet in person once again in Antalya, Türkiye to review the incredible progress the sport and our organisation has made over the often very challenging past few years.”

“By looking towards the future and naming the host cities for stages of the Archery World Cup for the next five years, we will ensure the health and prosperity of our sport’s premier events and allow member associations, national teams and athletes to plan ahead towards even greater success.”