They have only been shooting archery for two and a half years and the Youth World Cup was waiting for them just around the corner. Eduardo Lanzas (Arco Club Malaka, 2007) and Miriam Arenas (Arqueros de Málaga, 2006) from Malaga belong to different clubs, but the ecosystem of the local discipline acts as a single unit. Like a big family, regardless of the coat of arms and the name that they have screen printed on their chest.
The test will be held in the Irish city of Limerick from Monday to Sunday. Lanzas faces with her the first experience of her competing at an international level, in the Olympic modality of recurve bow. Arenas, who already knows what it is to measure himself against athletes from other countries and ages, competes in the compound bow, a modality in the process of being Olympic for Los Angeles 2028 and with a bow that requires more effort to draw it. The best teams in the world are gathered there in the children’s (under-15), cadet (under-18) and junior (under-21) categories.
Eduardo Lanzas, at the facilities of the Andalusian Archery Federation. Nito Salas
Its success is one of the fruits of the hard and arduous work of the ‘biologists’ of the discipline in the last five years, focused on the task of making and creating quarry. Behind the sweet moment that these two athletes live there is a name. A kind of spiritual mentor who helps them stay physically and mentally fit. He is Alberto Robles, a retired Civil Guard who fell in love with archery seven years ago. Devoted body and soul to this sport and focused on getting more visibility and resources, he is now the president of the Arco Club Malaka and one of the most important supporters of these two promises: «What I am looking for is that they have the greatest facility to shoot here and have the parapets and facilities in good condition.
Fundamental in the psychological preparation of the youngest, he revealed some of the keys. «In archery, only the arrow you shoot matters. The one that you have already thrown away and the one that you are going to throw away are useless », he points out, acting as an experimental voice. «The physique is important, but 70% is in the head. The mental work behind these two boys is brutal », she reveals.
Miriam Arenas, at the Andalusian Archery Federation facilities. Nito Salas
Right next to the old sports city of Málaga, a few meters from the El Viso roundabout, on Boulevard Louis Pasteur and through a dirt lane, stands the field of the Andalusian Archery Federation. There, a summer sun that caresses the archers while they exercise. Among them were Lanzas and Arenas, unable to go unnoticed dressed in the shirt of the Spanish team, which are also identifiable by having their last names on the back. They interrupted their training for just under an hour to talk and reflect, at length, on the experience they are facing these days and also to tell their story. They are two of the ten archers who represent Spain at the event, the world’s most important youth championship in the discipline.
The presence of up to two people from Malaga in a World Cup is an unprecedented milestone in local archery. As in life itself, all success goes hand in hand with an Achilles heel. Miriam Arenas, at cadet age but who has already debuted in the senior category, acknowledges feeling gripped by her insecurity, which seems to not stop him when she is about to shoot with her bow.
Road to the World Cup
Arenas’ path to the World Cup has been different from that of his partner. She got the classification through her scores with the senior team, computable and also validated for the cadet category. Lanzas, however, has had to face a somewhat longer road. After being one of the eight best in the National League, an achievement that helped him enter the race to be in the World Cup, he had to go to Madrid to play, sixty meters from the target, his classification through qualifying shots and arrows of tie-breaker.
«In archery, the day catches you bad and you don’t give one, and the next day it catches you good and you exceed your mark»
The processes vary. “The classification for the World Cup is done by points, although the third member of the team can be selected by the Olympic committee,” says Arenas, who sees the teams from India, the United States and Colombia as favorites. Lanzas, however, singled out the United States, Korea and France.
«In this, one day it catches you good and the other it catches you bad. One day you don’t give one and the next you exceed your best mark », explained the younger of the two when he was asked about his feelings towards the World Cup. Arenas, who has already rid himself of the itch to compete hand in hand with the absolute, believes that what remains is to “enjoy.”
Miriam Arenas and Eduardo Lanzas, on a mural at the facilities of the Andalusian Archery Federation. Nito Salas
At the age of 17, the goalkeeper accumulates as many medals in different championships (six gold, eight silver and three bronze), two Andalusian records and another two from Spain. She launches, for her part, two gold medals and as many bronze medals, a record for Spain and another for Andalusia. In addition, she was proclaimed indoor archery champion in January in Vícar (Almería) and also of the National League in the cadet category in the recurve bow modality, in which she is a specialist.
There are bows of many types. There are traditional and competition. In this second group, two stand out: the recurve and the compound. In Spain, the recurve type is considered the “most didactic”, for being “the most complete at a technical and postural level”. With him they learned both before having to opt for one type or another. In addition, the shooting distance varies: 80 meters for seniors, 60 for cadets and 40 for children.
His most personal facet
Their sporting achievements and successes sometimes overshadow their condition as adolescents. The fact of facing a competition of the caliber of the Youth World Cup may make one think that they have been linked to archery all their lives. And anything farter from the reality.
«My little brother started and they brought me one day, but until after the confinement I did not return. One day I tried it and I liked it, I got hooked and started training”, says Miriam Arenas. Eduardo Lanzas started almost at the same time, although his story is a bit different from that of his partner: «I wanted to sign up at the age of 12, but my mother wouldn’t let me. When she passed the quarantine and they let us go for a walk, we saw, riding the bikes, that this was the shooting range. We met Alberto (Robles) and he explained how things were going ». The rest is history.
Lanzas, who has just finished 4th year of ESO at the IES Torre Atalaya, thinks about studying Aerospace Engineering. Arenas, from Maristas, is aiming for Medicine or Physiotherapy, Degrees that he could enter in another way thanks to the practice of high-performance sports.
2023-07-08 22:50:36
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