Ten archers to watch at the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Championships in Rosario

The XXII Pan American and I Para Pan American Archery Championships are taking place in Rosario, Argentina until Saturday 25 October this week. It is the first time a para archery competition has been included since the continental event began in 1972.

These Pan Ams also act as the primary qualifying tournament for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. The top five men’s and women’s recurve teams will qualify, as will the top 10 individual archers in each category whose national teams do win team quota places.

Three individual places will be awarded in each Para Pan American Games competition category, too.

The Rosario 2014 qualification and elimination phases take place at the Jockey Polo Club and the finals will be shot in the evening, local time, at the Plaza de Banderas – an iconic monument in the city.

Here are 10 favourites worth watching throughout the competition…

1) Aida ROMAN (MEX), recurve woman: Reigning Archery World Cup Champion since Lausanne 2014, Aida collected her first international podium since the London Olympic silver at the indoors worlds at the start of this year. She’s had a great season.

2) Marcus DALMEIDA (BRA), recurve man: Silver medallist at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics and Archery World Cup Final this year, he’s garnering attention in Brazil and abroad. At the start of this season Marcus won triple gold at the South American Games.

3) Khatuna LORIG (USA), recurve woman: Five-time Olympian Khatuna is on the road to Rio 2016. First step: Make the USA Archery team for Toronto…

4) Matt STUTZMAN (USA), compound man open: The inspirational archer, and London 2012 Paralympic runner-up, already has the home crowd in his pocket!

5) Sara LOPEZ (COL), compound woman: Now World Cup champ and world number one, LOPEZ is the one to beat.

6) Roberto HERNANDEZ (ESA), compound man: Twice and reigning Pan American Champion. Defending his title in Rosario, he’ll need to beat Daniel MUNOZ (COL) – Medellin silver medallist – among others.

7) Linda OCHOA (MEX), compound woman: Long-time international OCHOA had a consistent Archery World Cup season and secured an invitation to the Lausanne Final.

8) Crispin DUENAS (CAN), recurve man: The bronze medallist at the last World Archery Championships is working on his shooting technique. He might still be in good enough shape to make an impact.

9) Juan Rene SERRANO (MEX), recurve man: Mexico’s perpetual recurve men’s contender. Won the team event at the Wroclaw World Cup stage.

10) Ana Maria RENDON (COL), recurve woman: The reigning South American Champion.

The Pan American and Para Pan American Archery Championships take place this week in Rosario, Argentina.