Addis’ priority for Puebla over Vegas rewards Frenchman with top seed at Puebla
Baptiste Addis repeated a strong start to the outdoor season as he poled in the recurve men’s qualifications on Wednesday at the the first stage of the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Puebla.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games team silver medallist similarly topped the field after 72 arrows in stage one of 2025 at Central Florida and the day for him had a little bit of déjà vu of the same round 12 months ago, with a warm wind causing problems for all recurve and compound archers so far this week.
His score too was alike the one in the USA, dropping only three more points today (674) than the 671 he racked up in Florida.
“For me, we work hard every winter and we never know the level I will be in the new competition and new season but I came here without expectation,” said Addis, still amazingly just 19. “I don’t want to be first seed, I don’t want to win the first competition. It’s just to focus on my skill and try to develop in every competition.”
“Last year, the first World Cup wasn’t the best, but I tried to build something and every competition was better after that.”
“Then I think it’s the same thing this year, not to repeat the same thing as last year, but do better and do the best every time, and sometimes someone will be better than me, sometimes not, and that’s the game.”
An expanded Indoor World Series meant the annual Vegas Shoot was pushed to the last weekend of March, curving out just a fortnight in between the ultimatum of the indoor season and the opener of outdoors.
For many it has caused changes to archers’ schedules, as they tried to juggle training in both environments, have a much shortened outdoors training plan – as was the case for Casey Kaufhold for example who started only 12 days ago – or not prioritise indoors at all.
Young Addis chose the latter, ending his 18-metre campaign at Nimes – his home club – and deliberately not entering Vegas to focus solely on 70-metre shooting in the meantime.
Two weeks – for him at least – was not enough time to switch and compete to his best abilities.
A sacrifice in some ways, to not put himself in for a chance of winning 5000 USD, but his tunnel vision paid dividends as he coped best under the warm, Mexican gusts at Parque del Arte, getting 28 arrows in the 10-ring also in the process.
“It was really to focus on my skill. The wind is here but I need to shoot a good arrow every time to increase my skill. I do my best for shooting a good arrow, not a 10, and if it’s an eight, it’s not a problem.”
“I can’t regret anything, I do my best, and I think it’s the most important thing. I know my coach knows what is a good arrow for me, and I try to do that.”
“If I can shoot all the arrows good, it’s 720 and that’s all, but it’s not the game. The game is to try to, first of all, shoot a good arrow and after try to do 100 per cent or 90 per cent of arrows good,” he added.
It was also a good day for China in both recurve categories in the 72-arrow round.
Gwangju 2025 Hyundai World Archery Championships recurve women’s silver medallist Zhu Jingyi obtained her first World Cup pole with 659, whilst men’s rookie Sun Jingxuan became the third seed in his maiden appearance on an international shooting line with 669.
He beat Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion Mete Gazoz to the position by getting five more arrows in the X-ring, the central zone within the 10-ring used to break ties in qualification.
Action resumes tomorrow in Puebla with recurve team eliminations in the morning, followed by compound and recurve mixed team eliminations in the afternoon.
Top seeds: Puebla 2026
Full results on the event page.
Recurve men
- Baptiste Addis, France – 674
- Aldar Tsybikzhapov, AIN – 672
- Sun Jingxuan, China – 669
18 archers shot 660+. 1/48 round cut at 641.
Recurve women
- Zhu Jingyi, China – 659
- Casey Kaufhold, USA – 654
- Katharina Bauer, Germany – 653
Fifteen archers shot 650+. 1/48 round cut at 573.
