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Sonnichsen takes top seed as Koroleva impresses

14 June 2016

Antalya (TUR)

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Colombian world number one Sara Lopez finished second with 703 and first-time Hyundai Archery World Cup competitor Elizaveta Koroleva, from Russia, came third on 702.

Sara Lopez and Sarah Sonnichsen have been in the top three qualifiers at each stage of the international circuit in 2016. It was Crystal Gauvin with them at stops one and two. Gauvin finished eighth over the 72-arrow 50-metre round in Antalya.

She was drawn with Antalya 2015 winner Andrea Marcos on 696, but won a shoot-off for the last place that receives a third-round bye.

Sonnichsen, Lopez and Gauvin are all already qualified for the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Odense, wherever they finish in Antalya, and can use the competition to solidify a top seeding at the season-ending event.

“It’s going to be my first World Cup Final, so I’m excited, and then it’s going to be in my home country. It’s going to be fun, big – I’m already nervous,” said Sonnichsen. “I want to have fun here. Shoot some finals, make my mental game a bit better.”

The weather during compound qualifying in Antalya was excellent. Sarah, who is in the process of cementing herself as one of the consistent high performers on the compound women’s tour after taking her first senior podium outdoors in Shanghai and following it up with another finals appearance in Medellin, was in a position to take advantage.

“I’m practising a lot more half a year ago. It’s fun. I’ve always hating training, but now I’m enjoying it. I can be on the field the whole day, then eat and go to bed – and then be on the field the next day. It’s fun being good at something,” she said.

Amaya Amparo Cojuangco, Kristina Heigenhauser, Janine Meissner and Inge van Caspel finished fourth to seventh, respectively. There was no cut to advance to the elimination stages of the compound women’s competition

Three more things worth knowing…

1. Koroleva’s debut

Fifteen-year-old Elizaveta Koroleva has an individual gold medal from a European Youth Cup in Hungary in May 2016 on her record – and that’s it. Or was it. The Hyundai Archery World Cup debutant posted a solid 702 to lead the Russian women’s squad and take a top three seeding in Antalya.

As an aside, rumour has it that Koroleva has an unconventional way of aiming. She puts her pin somewhere on the right of the target rather than pointing at the centre.

2. Inge’s PB

Dutch archer Inge van Caspel, who has been shooting internationally since 2009, posted 697 out of 720 points to rank seventh. The score was a new Dutch record by six points.

“The second round wasn’t as good as the first one,” said Inge. She shot halves of 353 and 344, which made for a personal best. “It’s just a mindset. I concentrate each arrow. I’m thinking about the feeling when I’m shooting.”