Preview: Record field gathers for Pan American Youth and Masters Championships in Medellin

The Pan American Youth and Masters Championships returns on Sunday for its third edition with its largest field yet, as 271 athletes from 16 nations converge on Medellin, Colombia, for five days of competition spanning four age categories and three disciplines.

Competition will take place at the permanent archery facility within the Unidad Deportiva Andrés Escobar. The venue has hosted seven stages of the Hyundai Archery World Cup over the past 13 years, alongside several Pan American Championships and World Ranking Events, cementing Medellin’s reputation as one of the sport’s most experienced host cities in the Americas.

The event – open to U15, U18, U21 and 50+ archers competing in recurve, compound and barebow – has grown rapidly since its inaugural standalone edition in Halifax, Canada, in 2022, from 139 athletes representing 10 countries to a record 271 competitors this year.

Host nation Colombia fields the second-largest delegation with 44 competitors – evenly split between men and women – while the United States leads all nations with 48 archers.

The youngest on the roster is 13-year-old Tucker Craig, while Rick Stonebraker turns 76 on 22 May – illustrating the unique nature of an event where teenagers shooting their first international competition and masters athletes with decades of experience share the same shooting line.

When the USA last competed at these championships in El Salvador in 2024, it topped the medals table with 12 gold, eight silver and four bronze medals.

Twenty reigning medallists return to Medellín aiming for more podium success, including US Virgin Islands archer Tatyana Muntyan, who set both championship and Americas records in the recurve 50+ qualifying round in San Salvador before adding a world record in the mixed team event alongside Bruce Arnold.

Also returning is Colombia’s Andrés Hernandez, who won recurve U21 men’s gold in El Salvador before going on to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics Games later that year.

Key information

What’s happening? The third Pan American Youth and Masters Championships on 24-28 May in Medellin, Colombia. Competition takes place at the permanent archery facility within the Unidad Deportiva Andrés.

What’s at stake? Medals, continental pride and – for the youngest athletes – the first steps toward future international ambitions.

Who’s competing? A total of 271 athletes representing 16 nations: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, the US Virgin Islands and the USA.

What’s the story? Twenty medallists from the 2024 edition return aiming for the podium once again, led by Olympian Andrés Hernandez and record-setter Tatyana Muntyan.

Who’s competing?

Notable returning medallists and contenders include:

• Recurve U15 men: Liam Lee, USA – reigning champion
• Recurve U18 women: Sophia Baptista, Brazil – reigning champion
• Recurve U21 men: Andrés Hernandez, Colombia – reigning champion and Paris 2024 Olympian
• Recurve 50+ men: Mark Williams, USA – 2022 champion
• Recurve 50+ women: Tatyana Muntyan, US Virgin Islands – reigning champion and world-record holder; Janis Grellner (USA) – 2022 champion
• Compound U15 men: Harkunwar Singh Teja, Canada – reigning champion; Tucker Craig, USA – youngest competitor (13)
• Compound U18 women: Michelle Dayana Cardona Alvarez, Colombia – reigning champion
• Compound 50+ women: Dawn Groszko, Canada – 2022 champion
• Barebow 50+ men: Rick Stonebraker, USA – oldest competitor (76)