Lopez tops qualifying as Colombia win 3 team titles

World record holder Sara Lopez topped the compound women’s ranking round at the South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia, before Colombia won gold medals in three of the four team competitions.

Lopez scored 704/720 points to lead qualification.

“I started nervous and that cost my five points in the first two ends. I had to fix the mistakes and although the score was not as high as I was expecting, it was still good,“ she said.

Camilo Cardona qualified first in the men’s event, also with 704, and the Colombian duo were the only two compound athletes to top 700 points on the 72-arrow 50-metre round.

Daniel Pineda’s 674 led recurve men’s qualifying to make it three top seeds for Colombia, while the recurve women’s pole went to Graziela Paulino of Brazil, with 645.

Paulino’s recurve women’s squad from Brazil was also the only team to prevent a Colombian sweep, taking gold against the top-seeded nation, 5-3, in the final. Colombia won the recurve men’s team and two compound team events.

Lopez, who didn’t compete at stage two of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, dropped back down to second in the world rankings after some of her points expired.

A win in Cochabamba might be enough to push her back into the lead.

“This is my first time at the South American Games and one of my goals is to win as many different medals as I can,” said Lopez.

“My main rivals are Alejandra [Usquiano], Nora [Valdez] and Eugenia Gonzales from Argentina, who’s a very good archer. It won’t be easy but I will do my best.”

The 2018 South American Games took place on 2-6 June in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

People
Competitions