10 archers to watch in Yankton

1. Jan VAN TONGEREN – NED

Sixteen-year-old Jan has oodles of untapped potential. He has a fifth place finish at the last Youth Olympic Games on his resume and has been known as the up-and-coming youngster in a national team that has an average age of around 20!

2. Collin KLIMITCHEK – USA

After making his senior debut in 2014, KLIMITCHEK made his senior finals field debut in 2015 – at the second stage of the Archery World Cup. He beat out his teammate and three-time champion on the circuit, Brady ELLISON, to individual bronze.

A huge confidence boost ahead of the junior worlds!

3. LEE Woo Seok – KOR

Woo Seok made something of an explosion into the international spotlight when he won the second Youth Olympics, and in such style. He put all but two of his arrows into the 10-ring at 60 metres in the final. The Nanjing event marked his only international experience to date.

4. Stephan HANSEN – DEN

Reigning junior world champion HANSEN is also a senior team world champ with the Danish compound men. Shooting in Yankton, the Prince of Denmark – as he is known – has a shot at a repeat title.

5. Danelle WENTZEL – RSA

Danelle made the Nimes indoor circuit stage final in 2015, had team bronze at the indoor worlds a year ago and finished in the top eight at the last senior world champs!

She did not shoot in the last youth event, but did compete back in 2011, when she came eighth in the cadet competition.

6. Melanie GAUBIL – FRA

One of France’s young women shooting in the senior team, Melanie won cadet team gold at Wuxi 2013. Individually, she did not make it past the third round at those last world youth champs – but she did collect silver at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

7. Sara LOPEZ – COL

One of the best-known compound names around. Sara LOPEZ is the reigning Archery World Cup Champion, a senior World Champion with the Colombian team and a double junior world champ in the mixed team and individual events.

Yankton is an opportunity to retain those titles she won in Wuxi before she becomes a full-time senior.

8. Marcus D’ALMEIDA – BRA

A stellar 2014 put Marcus’ name firmly on the map as a key Brazilian hope for Rio 2016. He won silver at Nanjing and at the Lausanne 2014 Archery World Cup Final – pushing him to a senior ranking of eighth in the world!

Over the first half of 2015, he did not shoot anywhere near as well.

His last World Archery Youth Championships appearance, back in 2013, ended in last-16 ranks in the mixed team and individual competitions.

9. Maja ORLIC – CRO

Double-medallist at Wuxi 2013, Maja picked up cadet mixed team silver and individual bronze. She was also a finalist at the senior worlds that year, where she finished fourth.

She’s not shot a great deal internationally since and will be jumping into the junior category in Yankton.

10. Patrick HUSTON – GBR

Britain’s highest finisher at the second Archery World Cup stage in 2015 was shooting at only his third international target tournament in Antalya. His previous experience was the youth worlds in China in 2013. 

He had two cadet golds in Wuxi: Individual and mixed team. 

Read more about Yankton 2015.