Marrakesh 2017: Schedule, favourites and tournament preview

It seems barely a ranking round ago that we were in Mexico City at the Hyundai World Archery Championships, the pinnacle of the year’s calendar – and a rather late finish to the outdoor season, truth be told.

But that’s behind us now and, while the southern hemisphere moves toward warmth, much of the northern hemisphere archers are already pinned indoors at 18 metres, where the international tournament trail now leads us.

And that brings us to Marrakesh; the first stage of the 2017/2018 Indoor Archery World Cup circuit – and a first opportunity to grab qualifying points towards the final in Vegas in February. It’s a mixed entry list, too, with a bucketful of big names in some categories – and an opportunity for up-and-comers in others.

Schedule

10 November: Practice

11 November: Qualification and elimination

12 November: Elimination and finals

Tournament preview

With little break since the end of the outdoor season just weeks ago, the upper-end of the entry list in Marrakesh is somewhat depleted… except in the compound men’s event, which features heavyweights including the top three ranked archers in the world – Stephan Hansen, Braden Gellenthien and Mike Schloesser – and recently-crowned World Archery Champion Seb Peineau. 

Two of the four winners from last year’s stage in Marrakesh return, in Brady Ellison and Hansen.

Ellison hasn’t been on form recently, posting a disappointing 33rd-place finish at the worlds, but shot a world record in Marrakesh in 2016. Hansen, meanwhile, came within a single arrow of defending his champion title at those same worlds, but lost the tiebreak to Peineau.

Favourites

Individual winners: Aida Roman, Matteo Fissore, Tanja Jensen and Braden Gellenthien.

Roman and Fissore are two of the most battle-tested indoor archers on the recurve lines in Marrakesh. Roman was World Archery Indoor Champion in 2014 and the bulk of Fissore’s success has come indoors – with multiple podiums at this event.

The compound women’s division doesn’t look easy, but Jensen’s been proving herself more and more competitive throughout the year.

The most exciting event will, no doubt, be the clash of a host of in-form elite compound men. Any of Hansen, Schloesser, Peineau could take the win, or Demir ELmaagacli, Mario Vavro, Peter Elzinga, Reo Wilde, Sergio Pagni… the list goes on.

But it’s world number two Gellenthien whose name jumps out.

Also the reigning Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion, Braden has won in Marrakesh before (2013, 2014), and has found a seam of matchplay form at 31 years of age that is formidable.

– Chris

The first stage of the 2017/18 Indoor Archery World Cup takes place in Marrakesh, Morocco on 10-12 November 2017.