Defending Champion Stephan Hansen tops worlds qualification

Reigning World Archery Champion Stephan Hansen scored 712 out of a possible 720 points to top the compound men’s ranking round at the 2017 Hyundai World Archery Championships in Mexico City, beating Korea’s Kim Jongho to the top spot by a point.

France’s PJ Deloche, who was runner-up at the worlds in 2013, came third and two-time World Cup Champion Sergio Pagni of Italy fourth; both had 710 points.

“Being first in the ranking round shows I have the skills to [win again]. But it is a little bit of luck sometimes you need,” said Hansen. “I have had luck and shot well this year – so if I could just continue doing that here, I’ll be really happy.”

Hansen put 36 of his 72 arrows into the X-ring, in the very centre of the target.

“I count my Xs. Instead of just going for a 10 and being happy with a 10, I want to go for an X and make a mistake and get a 10 and I still have maximum points,” he said.

“Thirty-six is 50% Xs and that’s where I want to be, especially in this weather, it’s really good.”

The top-seeded Dane, ranked number one in the world arriving at these championships, has been training in Mexico for a month.

He is in a relationship with Mexican Olympic silver medallist Aida Roman, who lives 20 minutes away from the Campo Marte, the venue for the qualification and elimination stages of this event.

“I could just go home and relax and get away from all the pressure of being in a competition,” Stephan added.

“But I’m just gonna stay here and have fun. I’m shooting well and I’m really comfortable with where I am.”

Hansen and the other top-eight qualifiers all receive an automatic bye into the third round of competition and will not shoot again until Thursday.

Third seed Deloche was suffering with a heavy cold.

“I held as much as I could,” he said. “I felt that the legs let go, then the hips, then the shoulders.”

Deloche, Dominique Genet and Seb Peineau were the top seeded team.

The French trio scored 2117 points combined; USA was second on 2115, Korea third with 2114 and Croatia had 2112 for fourth.

Recently-crowned Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion for the season Braden Gellenthien, Domagoj Buden, Luc Martin and Abhishek Verma all received individual top-eight byes.

World number two Mike Schloesser, winner of the worlds in 2013, finished ninth and will have to shoot the first two rounds.

The 2017 Hyundai World Archery Championships run 15-22 October in Mexico City, Mexico.