JONES leads compound women’s qualification in Antalya, LOPEZ shoots PB

The States’ multi-World Cup medallist’s 698 put her seven points clear of the rest of the compound women’s field. “The wind was swirling for everyone,” said Erika JONES. “It was frustrating: you had to aim left and aim right and aim on for some arrows. It was tricky to read.”

“I felt like I was struggling with that a little bit in the first half but I figured it out for the second.”

Sara LOPEZ’s ranking round ran quite the opposite. The Antalya 2013 winner shot a personal best for 36 arrows to kick her 2014 campaign in Turkey off, but things went downhill to close qualification out: “The second half was difficult because I was hitting my arm with the string… and it really hurt.”

That gold medal here last year was LOPEZ’s arrival party on the international scene. Before then, she was fairly unknown, but soon became the poster girl – with Alejandra USQUIANO – for a young Colombian team that won the world title at Belek 2013.

“Last year I wasn’t expecting anything at all,” LOPEZ explained. “This year I’m expecting something, but not necessarily to win. My principal goal is to get more points towards the World Cup Final because I really want to go.”

Antalya 2014 is the pivot point in the World Cup season. The last chance for archers without ranking points towards Lausanne to make ground on a Finals place and the first chance for the majority of those in the lead to lock themselves into a spot.

For Erika, while pole individual position is important, Antalya is also a chance to continue a clean sheet with her team: the USA women won team golds at both Shanghai and Medellin.

She’ll have competition from at least one South American athlete. “Turkey is like, my favourite country in the world,” LOPEZ added with a grin. “I seem to win here.”

Two more things to take away from the compound women’s ranking round in Antalya:

Toja CERNE, the Slovenian silver medallist in Medellin, seeded in 10 – while that event’s bronze finisher, Dutchwoman Inge VAN CASPEL, came fifth. Two-time World Champion Albina LOGINOVA, from Russia, took the eighth seed. That’s the last position for an automatic trip into the third round.

See results from the third 2014 Archery World Cup stage in Antalya, which runs from 11-15 June. Check event news, and visit World Archery’s Facebook page and @worldarchery on Twitter for coverage.