World Archery awards 2015 World Cup Final and 2017 World Championships to Mexico City

Archery’s two most important independent events will stop for fixtures in the Mexican capital as the sport’s popularity continues to rise in the Americas.

Mexico has developed into a key market for international archery following the team’s success at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Aida ROMAN won recurve women’s silver and Mariana AVITIA bronze, making Mexico the only nation to put two athletes on the same podium.  

World Archery hopes that by awarding two elite events to a city that already displays an appetite for the sport, strong development and community engagement programmes can be built to complement the continued growth of archery in Latin America.

Mexico City 2015 will be the second time the nation hosts the Archery World Cup Final. The first ever such event was held in the Mayapan Pyramids in 2006, the same year in which Merida ran the World Archery Youth Championships nearby.

Mexico also has a decorated history of hosting major multisport events, including Pan American, Caribbean and Central American Games – and the Mexico City Olympics in 1968.

A strong bid backed by Mayor Dr Miguel ANGEL MANCERA and Director of Sport Mr Horacio DE LA VEGA – who had a great career as an athlete – national government and broadcasters persuaded the World Archery Executive Board to award both events to the same organiser. 

The two tournaments offer very different dynamics. A World Cup Final is held over a weekend, features the year’s top 32 athletes and focuses on individual match-play and sports presentation. More than 500 archers from 70 nations are expected at the ten-day long world championships.

That event also culminates in a two-day finals programme – with images distributed worldwide through World Archery’s growing stable of broadcasters – and will include the World Archery Congress.

Mexico City promoted its candidature by creating the Mexican Challenge, first held at the end of 2013. The innovative event – produced by Moveo Lab, the sports company that will organise both the newly-awarded tournaments – pitched eight of Mexico’s finest against eight top archers from the rest of the world.

Athletes from both teams praised the atmosphere, smooth organisation and efforts to engage with the large live and broadcast audience it attracted. Team USA Paralympic silver medallist at London 2012, Matt STUTZMAN – better known as the inspirational archer – who was born without arms and shoots with his feet, was a favourite of the 13,000 people that watched in the crowd.

Olympic Champion OH Jin Hyek added at the time, while smiling: "if they invite me, I would love to come back."

He will have the opportunity when Mexico City hosts two of World Archery’s most important events in the next three years.

Director of Sport in Mexico City Mr Horacio DE LA VEGA said: "Archery is central to Mexico’s sport programme following the success the nation’s athletes have already achieved. It is a sport on the rise in popularity and participation and there is a significant audience for its international events and athletes within the country. It’s now time for Mexico City to showcase the best of itself, internationally, thanks to great athletes."

World Archery Secretary General Mr Tom DIELEN said: "Athletes were at the centre of the decision to award these events to Mexico City. Mexico’s archers have been asking for an international tournament in their country for some time, and they are one of the most internationally competitive teams right now.

"With the Mexican Challenge concept, this organising committee proved that it shares our values of putting athletes at the heart of international archery competition. We are confident it will build on that success with two of World Archery’s flagship tournaments."

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