Preview: Lausanne winners back for 18-metre series leg two in Strassen

The second leg of international archery’s mass-participation 18-metre circuit takes place this weekend in Luxembourg, with the GT Open attracting shooters from more than 30 countries to compete for more than 15,000 EUR in cash and prizes.

On the entry list – all four winners from the first event of the season held last month in Lausanne.

Three of the finals there came down to tiebreaks. Expect more of the same this weekend, with a host of high-calibre archers joining the line, including incumbent compound women’s world number one Ella Gibson.

The Brit is only four years removed from setting the 18-metre world record here. (It’s since been upped by one to 597.) And she’s delivered significantly better scores since then.

For the first time, all of the events pre-Nîmes include an under-21 category, which qualifies athletes for the Indoor Archery World Series Youth Finals (taking place in France), just as the senior championship competitions earn points towards Feburary’s Indoor Archery World Series Finals in Las Vegas.

Key information

What’s happening? The GT Open at the Guillaume Tell Archery Club on 17-19 November 2023 in Strassen, Luxembourg.

What’s at stake? Prize money, elite and open ranking points for the international circuit, plus world ranking points.

Who’s competing? More than 400 archers from 32 countries.

What’s the story? The first event last month in Lausanne was top-heavy, particularly in the compound men’s event, but there are a lot more big hitters out across the board in Strassen. This venue has delivered record scores in the past – and might well again.

Schedule

• Friday 17 October: Qualifying (two sessions)
• Saturday 18 March: Qualifying (two sessions) and eliminations
• Sunday 19 March: Finals

How to watch

There is no live broadcast planned for this event. Live scores will be available on the World Archery website and there will be non-live coverage on World Archery’s digital platforms throughout the competition.

Who’s competing?

Full entries are available online. These are the top-ranked archers shooting in Strassen:

• Recurve men: Brady Ellison, USA (world rank: 4)
• Recurve women: Casey Kaufhold, USA (world rank: 2)
• Compound men: Mike Schloesser, Netherlands (world rank: 1)
• Compound women: Ella Gibson, Great Britain (world rank: 1)

Competition at the GT Open starts on Friday.