Lopez opens season with Juan Enrique Barrios top seed

Colombian compound woman and reigning world number one Sara Lopez scored 695 out of a possible 720 points for the 72-arrow 50-metre ranking round to top compound women’s qualification at the Juan Enrique Barrios Cup 2017, ahead of teammate and Paris 2013 Archery World Cup Final Champion Alejandra Usquiano (682) in Manati, Puerto Rico.

“The competition was a bit difficult because of the wind. I’m not used to shooting in it because I normally don’t have conditions like this where I train. Nevertheless, it was a good qualification. This is the first outdoor and international tournament of the year and we came here for training ahead the rest of the season,” said Sara.

“Conditions are similar to the ones in Antalya, thinking ahead. The weather has been very strange and completely different to what I expected from Puerto Rico.”

Lopez, who ended 2016 as the number one ranked compound woman in the world for the third year in a row, remains unbeaten in matchplay at outdoor world-level competition since the bronze final of the World Archery Championships in 2015.

The world title, which she has yet to win, is up for grabs in Mexico City in October.

Since the start of the World Cup-era, no athlete has topped a world ranking list for more consecutive days than Lopez. If she remains in pole through 2017, she’ll also break the record for the number of cumulative days at the top sometime in November.

This edition of the Juan Enrique Barrios Cup also included the first Caribbean Development Championships, contested over 30 metres, and a para world ranking event. 

The Juan Enrique Barrios Cup 2017 takes place 30 April to 5 May in Manati, Puerto Rico.