Round-up: Four first-time World Cup champions crowned at Saltillo 2026

One came back from the brink, one showed remarkable composure, and two made history for their countries.

It truly was the story of the underdogs at the Saltillo 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final, as four new champions were crowned in Mexico’s northern state of Coahuila – and who doesn’t like an underdog story?

Alexis Ruiz composed herself brilliantly after an unusual first match in the compound women’s competition to become USA’s 11th winner on the sport’s premier international circuit and its third in the category.

India – a hugely passionate archery country that is soon to host the Archery Premier League for the second year running – claimed its second World Cup champion in the competition’s 20-year history through Dhiraj Bommadevara.

He was not the obvious favourite in a recurve men’s field that included Olympic medallists Brady Ellison and Mete Gazoz, but he showed the mental mettle required to win a competition of this magnitude, particularly in the gold medal match at Plaza de Armas.

Nico Wiener and Marie Horackova became the first World Cup champions from their respective countries, cementing themselves as heroes for their national archery communities.

Their victories added Austria and Czechia to the list of 21 nations that have now produced a World Cup champion during the competition’s 20-year history.

Key takeaways

Alexis Ruiz doesn’t fold easily. So many archers in Ruiz’s position on Saturday afternoon would have wilted in the peculiar circumstances at Plaza de Armas. Her first match against Lisell Jaatma – the Shanghai 2026 winner – finished 143-143, setting up the second shoot-off they had shared at 50 metres this year after Shanghai’s 149-149 tie.

Jaatma had beaten Ruiz in May, but the American seemed to have got her own back when her nine appeared closer to the 10 than the Estonian’s. The judge initially raised her arm towards Jaatma’s target, making her the winner before the decision was swiftly overturned. Ruiz was left in tears, only to face the nine-time circuit champion Sara Lopez minutes later in the semifinals.

The Pan American gold medallist later admitted she could barely remember the match, but somehow composed her emotions well enough to defeat Dafne Quintero 145-144 for gold. The 27-year-old is known among her fellow athletes for her kindness and warmth, but Saltillo showed another side – a fighting spirit and determination not to let circumstances affect her shooting.

Nico Wiener’s big moment. Wiener has been one of the highest-ranked archers for years and was already a recognised world champion after winning at Yankton 2021. But his celebrations in Saltillo were something else.

After every 10 and X10 – and, inevitably, every win – against Nicolas Girard, Pablo Gomez Zuluaga and Mathias Fullerton, the Austrian fist-pumped, bellowed or both. With support from the family of his girlfriend, compound women’s world number one Andrea Maya Becerra Arizaga, the crowd soon joined in.

The celebrations and warm embrace with his mum afterwards showed how much the victory meant after years of work. The togetherness of the Wieners at the end will be relatable to many.

Marie Horackova’s quiet indoor season paid off. Compared with most top-ranked archers, Horackova had a quiet indoor season, competing only at the Swiss Open Lausanne 2025 – which she won – and the Nimes Archery Tournament.

She then skipped Puebla to give herself more time before beginning her 70-metre campaign, and the plan quickly paid off. She took silver at the European Grand Prix Spring Arrows, followed it with gold in Madrid and then became Czechia’s first-ever World Cup champion in Saltillo.

The 28-year-old’s decision to prioritise her outdoor season ultimately delivered the kind of peak performance every athlete strives for – at exactly the right time.

Champions: 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final

• Recurve men: Dhiraj Bommadevara, India
• Recurve women: Marie Horackova, Czechia
• Compound men: Nico Wiener, Austria
• Compound women: Alexis Ruiz, USA