Lausanne win shows Ajay Scott’s dedication paying off

For some of the 458 archers competing this weekend in Strassen, it will be their first appearance on the 2026 Indoor World Series – and for others, their first time shooting alongside professionals on the sport’s biggest indoor circuit.

For compound archer Ajay Scott, however, it will be his sixth Indoor World Series appearance and his fourth time competing at the Guillaume Tell venue. But this season holds more significance than any before.

The 2023 GT Open was the Brit’s first senior international event – the first of 15 he has now contested (excluding Kings of Archery, the Lancaster Classic and other non-World Archery tournaments). He reached the quarterfinals there before being eliminated by current world number one Mathias Fullerton.

Not a bad debut at 20 years old. And two years on, Scott has more than found his footing.

His breakthrough arrived two weekends ago, when he won his first individual international title at the Swiss Open Lausanne – a competition he only entered after encouragement from teammate Kai Thomas-Prause. Scott defeated reigning World Archery Champion Nicolas Girard in a shoot-off after a 148-148 tie.

“I didn't want to come in, do an okay score, get through one or two matches and then go home,” said Scott. “I wanted to get to the final and keep it going. For me, it was setting the tone for the rest of the season and knowing my level from the start.”

“Obviously, there were a few nerves when you’ve got the world champ behind you, drilling, and you think he’s going to shoot 150, but you must focus on yourself.”

“I didn’t really have anything in my head. I was just letting my body do the work and trying to keep my brain out of it, because your brain always messes things up.”

The win also ended a long run of losses to Girard. Before Lausanne, Scott had been beaten by the Frenchman three times – most recently in Madrid at the the fourth stage of the 2025 Hyundai Archery World Cup, again in a shoot-off.

Scott, the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games silver medallist, felt he had “bottled” that one after letting slip a two-point lead.

That bronze medal match in Madrid had been his second chance of stepping onto a World Cup podium in 2025, after he and Ella Gibson won mixed team gold in Shanghai at stage two.

But experiences like Madrid, the 2025 Conquest Cup (his first senior gold medal match) and the University Games are shaping his rise.

Close losses sting – but they build the mental resilience required for better mental performance in medal matches.

“Madrid was bittersweet. In the semifinal I was nervous because I thought: ‘Oh wow, I’m at a World Cup, I’m winning.’ I thought about it too much and then the nerves came.”

“Everyone said I didn’t look like I was shaking, but they didn’t see my sight picture – it was everywhere. I needed a 10 to win and get to the gold medal match, and I shot an eight.”

“Winning would’ve been great, but gaining experience was more valuable, because I’ve been able to apply it to everything else – it helps with nerves and not getting nervous in those situations.”

The lights in Lausanne were another challenge, making the pin more difficult to see due to the brightness – yet he adapted.

Managing variables is part of elite archery. Performing despite them is what shapes champions.

Scott recently completed an undergraduate degree in sports therapy and rehabilitation at the University of Kent, which he juggled alongside his archery endeavours – quite literally.

Near the end of his semester, he was typing part of his final-year dissertation in an Airbnb he shared with Mike Schloesser, Tim Jevsnik, Jozef Bosansky and Ella Gibson – in between shooting sessions at Central Florida.

Talk about commitment.

This season has also marked his first year as a full-time professional, with appearances at all Hyundai Archery World Cup stages, the University Games and the Gwangju 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships.

Indoors, he has already competed more than last season: Lausanne early October, Kings of Archery (where he shot 899) last weekend, Strassen now, Rio, Nimes and The Vegas Shoot in the coming months.

Asked whether he plans to study for a master’s degree, Scott admitted archery now comes first – especially with the inclusion of compound at the LA28 Olympic Games, of which the competition schedule has just been released by the International Olympic Committee.

“I want to, but the whole Olympic thing… it’s not looking like I’m going to be able to do it,” he said. “I can always do a master’s after everything’s done, but I want to focus more on archery now. Even in undergrad, doing essays and practical stuff while competing was difficult to juggle.”

“I’m lucky it didn’t really take a hit. I managed to find a decent balance, but now that uni’s done, I can see the progress I’ve made just by focusing on archery.”

If there’s one thing LA28 has made clear, it’s that putting studies on hold might be the perfect move for Scott – and for Great Britain’s Olympic ambitions.

It presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for compound archers around the world, and pairing him with former long-time world number one in compound women, Ella Gibson, could make a formidable combination for 2028.

Easing off the essays and Harvard referencing may be no bad thing either, as the pair continue to build a strong presence as a team.

For now, Scott is living his dream properly for the first time without distractions off the shooting line. And it would be no surprise to see him on the podium again in Strassen this weekend.

“Everything’s staying the same,” he said. “The 23s [his arrows] are working well for me, so I’ll stay with that and hopefully get some good practice in before flying out to Luxembourg.”