Over 270 athletes are set to compete at the second stage of the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup in China next week.
All four defending champions from last year’s Shanghai stage are back, along with the highly anticipated return of Korea’s Olympic stars Lim Sihyeon and Kim Woojin in the recurve competitions.
Reigning circuit compound women’s champion Sara Lopez will also be shooting at the Yuanshen Sports Center as she bids to win a landmark 10th World Cup title.
Scroll on for five archers you’ll want to keep your eyes on.
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1. Sebastian Garcia
Who? The reigning compound men’s Pan American Champion from Mexico.
Why? Garcia led the compound men’s 72-arrow qualifying field at the first stage in Central Florida last month, overcoming windy conditions to outperform world number one Mike Schloesser and number two Mathias Fullerton. His top seed helped the 22-year-old reach his first World Cup final four, though he fell short in the gold medal match. In Shanghai, he’ll be determined to go one step further next Saturday.
Sebastian has never won a gold medal outside of the Americas.
2. Kim Woojin
Who? The greatest recurve men’s archer of all time.
Why? It’s been nearly nine months since Woojin’s Olympic triumph over fellow great Brady Ellison. Korea skipped Central Florida due to national team trials, but Woojin has once again earned his place ahead of Shanghai – marking his 15th consecutive World Cup season.
Now 32, with a career most archers can only dream of, the question remains: can he maintain his extraordinary standard?
Woojin is the reigning Olympic Champion and the defending recurve men’s champion of archery’s premier international circuit.
3. Giulia Di Nardo
Who? The 2025 European Indoor bronze medallist from Italy.
Why? The 20 year old has burst onto the scene since making her senior debut at the Swiss Open last November, where she won silver, and also picked up individual bronze in Samsun. The 20 year old hasn't looked out of place either in her debut outdoor senior season, as she and Italy claimed silver in the compound women team final at Central Florida. Shanghai 2025 could be the place where the young Italian can make a starmaking performance as one of the top prospects in the discipline.
2025 is Di Nardo's first year on the premier international circuit.
4. Quinty Roeffen
Who? The recurve women’s 2024 European Youth Champion from the Netherlands.
Why? Roeffen debuted on the World Cup circuit three years ago in Antalya 2022 and has since flicked between youth and senior events. While she has yet to earn an individual senior medal, her dominant under-21 indoor season – topping the podium in Lausanne, Strassen and Nimes – signals big potential.
She missed the opening stage in Central Florida a month ago, but could surprise in Shanghai.
Quinty was part of the Dutch women’s team that narrowly missed out on bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
5. Baptiste Addis
Who? The recurve men’s team silver medallist at Paris 2024.
Why? While Roeffen has drifted between levels, Addis has firmly embedded himself at senior level – competing toe to toe with the world’s best at just 18. He reminded everyone France has a special talent on its hands, as he topped qualifying in Central Florida with 671 points, ahead of stars like Mete Gazoz and Florian Unruh.
While he’s chasing the first individual World Cup medal that still eludes him, Shanghai could be where the starboy goes one more step beyond.
Addis is the reigning European Championships recurve men’s team gold medallists alongside Thomas Chirault and Jean-Charles Valladont.
