Archers on target for Buenos Aires 2018
While the party got started at the iconic Obelisco in Buenos Aires on Friday to mark the one year to go to the Youth Olympic Games, the world’s most promising young archers were put through their paces in their quest to make the grade to the top junior competition next year.
Archery
Just 300 kilometres north in Rosario, the World Archery Youth Championships was well underway as the main qualifier for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games where 32 quota places were allocated to 24 nations.
All spaces won were assigned to a nation, rather than an archer, which may then decide who fills the place at the Games – so there is still a lot to play for, as Great Britain’s Alyssia Tromans-Ansell, who took gold in the girls’ event, said, “I’m over the moon I got this place for Great Britain. We’ve got a selection shoot to choose who’ll shoot [at the Youth Olympic Games] next year and I’m hoping I’ll get it.”
In line with the total gender equality at Buenos Aires 2018, an equal number of men and women will ensure that 64 athletes compete in archery at next year’s Youth Olympic Games. The next allocations will be at the continental qualification events in the coming months.
The event in Rosario also marked the first ‘pilot’ project of creating a Youth Olympic Network of events, a concept that aims to spread the reach of the YOG and also the impact that the programmes have on young athletes. Over the course of the tournament from 2 to 8 October, the International Olympic Committee, along with the Buenos Aires 2018 organisers, teamed up with World Archery to offer educational content, careers advice and activities via the Athletes’ Hub Youth Zone. Buenos Aires 2018 also provided archery sport initiation for spectators and cultural activities such as ‘chats with champions’.
The YOG Buenos Aires 2018 take place between 6 and 18 October next year.