MEDELLIN, Colombia – Saturday could very well be a significant day for the USA’s compound archers, after a number of impressive performances on day three of the World Cup Stage 3.
Already guaranteed at least a silver in the compound women’s team event, with the USA facing host nation Colombia on Saturday morning, the Stars and Stripes will have an archer in each of the compound women’s semifinals, Liko Arreola and Alexis Ruiz, while Nick Kappers and James Lutz go up against one another in the compound men’s semis.
Thursday gave us all another glimpse of the wonderful talent which is 15-year-old Arreola. Her 147-141 win over Estonia’s Lisell Jaatma came after the European had defeated top seed Aditi Gopichand Swami of India. In qualification, Swami had smashed the under 18 world record, shooting 711, to beat the 708 managed by Arreola as recently as May.
Arreola, making her World Cup debut, will meet Sarah Prieels of Belgium in the last four. Prieels prevented an all-American semifinal with victory over Danelle Wentzel-Lutz in the quarterfinals. The other compound women’s semifinal will be between Ruiz and Colombia’s Sara Lopez, the third seed.
Earlier on Thursday, the recurve women of Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez, Catalina GNoriega and Casey Kaufhold began with a 6-0 win over Spain before coming from behind to overcome Germany 5-4 in the quarterfinals, only to fall short against top seeds Korea in the semifinals. They then lost to Chinese Taipei in the bronze medal match.
Individual recurve elimination takes place on Friday. Mucino-Fernandez meets Sylwia Zyzanska of Poland, Kaufhold faces another Polish archer in Natalia Lesniak and GNoriega tackles Lucilla Boari of Italy.
For the men, Brady Ellison’s first opponent on Friday is Colombian Daniel Betancur, while Gabriel Anderson takes on Tarundeep Rai of India, Jackson Mirich goes against Monty Orton of Great Britain, and Jack Williams starts against Turkish archer Abdullah Yildirmis.
There are mixed team eliminations on Friday, also. Arreola and Lutz start against Brazil in the last 16 of the compound. Mucino-Fernandez and Ellison join forces in the recurve mixed team, and meet either Brazil or Romania in their first match.
There are four World Cup stages, before the final in Mexico in September. As well as Turkey, China and Colombia, there is also a stage in France.
Stage 4: Paris, France – August 15-20
Final: Hermosillo, Mexico – September 9-10
