Mexican archer and four-time Olympian Alejandra Valencia produced a vintage performance to top qualification at the Tlaxcala 2026 Pan American Championships, shooting 666 to lead the recurve women’s field by two points ahead of the USA’s Jennifer Mucino.
Valencia is by far the most decorated archer in Pan American competition. She has won this event twice – in Guadalajara in 2010 and Medellin in 2018 – along with eight other individual and team medals. She is also a three-time Pan American Games champion and will defend her title from the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games next year.
Now one of the most senior veterans in the field – she made her international debut in 2010 – Valencia shrugged off questions about retirement after winning her second Olympic bronze at Paris 2024, and in 2026 finds herself ranked 5th in the world and still performing at the very top of her game.
The recurve men’s qualification was topped by her compatriot and defending champion Matias Grande, who edged Brazil’s Marcus D’Almeida on X-count after both shot 683. The pair finished two points clear of Brady Ellison in third.
Colombia’s Alejandra Usquiano – one of our five archers to watch before the tournament – led the compound women’s field with 710, finishing just ahead of Andrea Becerra and Sara Lopez. Her score also broke the championships qualification record by four points.
The compound men’s field was also led by a Colombian, Pablo Gomez Zuluaga, the bronze medallist at the last Pan American Championships and silver medallist at this year’s San Salvador 2026 Grand Prix of the Americas.
The USA’s Michael Weaver and Ava Jones topped the barebow qualification rounds. The men’s competition features athletes from the USA, Argentina and Uruguay, while the women’s field is made up entirely of American archers.
Competition continues on Thursday with mixed team eliminations and the individual Pan American Games qualifying tournament.
