Gibson breaks qualifying world record with 715 at European Games

British world number one Ella Gibson has broken the compound women’s 72-arrow 50-metre qualifying world record by two points after scoring 715 out of a possible 720 at the 2023 European Games in Krakow, Poland.

“I woke up this morning and I told myself that today is going to be a good day. I said to my coach, ‘I decree it! Today shall be a good day! I’m deciding it and it is happening’,” said the 23-year-old, who was crying as the other 14 compound women competing at this event lined up to congratulate her after finishing the round.

“I’ve just been telling myself all morning that I decide when I shoot well and I decide when it’s a good day – and I decided that it was today.”

Her historic score comes in a morning competition session that started 45 minutes late due to a storm.

Gibson, who had a breakout season in 2022, flirted with the record last year, twice shooting one point under – 712 – on the Hyundai Archery World Cup at the stages in Paris and Medellin.

“My coach told me that one of the main reasons I shot so well last year was because I had that total confidence,” she said. “I knew that every shot would be a 10. He told me I needed that back.”

Her three-point career-best this morning in Krakow finally liberates the world-best mark from reigning World Archery Champion Sara Lopez, who had held it since April 2015 and set the previous record at 713 in August of that year.

Ella now holds three of the compound women’s world records.

As well as this morning’s new world best, she has the 36-arrow 60-metre record at 358 and the double 72-arrow 50-metre round record at 1422.