Mexico's Archery Stars Shine in Medellín 2024
In the heart of Medellín, Mexico's archery champions, Valencia Trujillo and Grande Kalionchiz, dazzled with precision and flair at the 2024 Pan American Specialty Championship, securing victories and eyeing future Olympic glory amidst triumphs and trials.
The leading archers of the Mexican team, Alejandra Valencia Trujillo and Matías Grande Kalionchiz, had a great performance on the third day of the Medellín 2024 Pan American Specialty Championship, after qualifying for the finals in their individual and mixed team events.
The Guanajuato native, current continental runner-up, was the first to appear on the shooting range to dominate his rivals, as he defeated the Colombian Daniel Betancur 7-1, the Chilean Andrés Gallardo 6-2, the American Gabriel Anderson 7-1 and 6-5 to Cuban Hugo Franco in a heart-stopping match decided by a golden arrow.
Then it was the turn of the Tokyo 2020 medalist and current world runner-up, who beat the Panamanian Emma Durán 7-1, the Colombian Maira Sepúlveda 6-2, the Canadian Kristine Esebua 6-4 and Virginie 6-0 Chenier, also from Canada.
After their brilliant individual performances, the Mexican athletes teamed up for the mixed event, in which they started with a 6-0 victory over Jamaica, and then beat Chile 6-2 and Canada by the same score.
Those already qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will shoot their arrows searching for glory next Sunday: Valencia Trujillo against the American Casey Kaufhold, Grande Kalionchiz against the also American Jackson Mirich, and in a mixed team they will do the same against Brazil.
The Olympian Ana Paula Vázquez Flores beat three rivals in a row, but she fell to Kaufhold in the semifinals, so on the same Sunday she will seek to get on the podium against the Canadian Chenier.
In the compound bow modality, the men's team made up of Juan Del Río Gutiérrez, Sebastián García Flores and Máximo Méndez Ortiz showed their superiority after beating Chile 232-229 and Colombia 237-235 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, and This Saturday they will try to proclaim themselves monarchs against Guatemala.
The women's team of this modality, made up of Dafne Quintero García, Maya Becerra Arizaga and Esmeralda Sánchez Morales, will also shoot on Saturday against their counterpart from Colombia for the bronze medal.
Mexico's compound bow team, led by Juan Del Río Gutiérrez, displays unwavering focus and determination during a crucial match. Credit: CONADE
