The Hyundai Archery World Cup Final concluded its prestigious run at the historic Plaza de Armas in Saltillo, Mexico, drawing thousands of spectators to the capital of Coahuila for a weekend of elite international competition, according to regional reporting. Featuring the 32 best archers from 17 countries across individual recurve and compound disciplines, the tournament highlighted world-class marksmanship while delivering a pair of podium finishes for the host nation through Dafne Quintero and Rodrigo González.
How the World’s Elite Qualified for Saltillo
World Archery designed the World Cup circuit to funnel only the absolute top performers into its season-ending showcase. Throughout the campaign, athletes competed across four distinct stages held in Puebla, Mexico; Shanghai, China; Antalya, Türkiye; and Madrid, Spain. Points accumulated at each stop determined the final ranking, securing qualification exclusively for the top eight athletes in each individual category.
Athletes arrived accompanied by comprehensive multidisciplinary support teams, setting up an intense two-day showdown in the heart of Saltillo’s government plaza.
Mexico’s Historic Contingent and Coahuila’s Development Program
The host country fielded a historic seven-athlete roster—the largest contingent the nation has ever qualified for a World Cup Final. The squad featured Olympic medalists Alejandra Valencia and Ana Paula Vázquez, alongside world champions Maya Becerra and Dafne Quintero, world medalist Sebastián García, Pan American silver medalist Matías Grande, and Central American and Caribbean Games silver medalist Rodrigo González.
Notably, four members of the national squad—Grande, Vázquez, Quintero, and García—hail directly from the host state of Coahuila. According to comments provided to Olympics.com by Sebastián García, this high concentration of local talent stems from a deliberate, long-term athletic initiative. García noted that a regional development program launched over a decade ago provided consistent training pathways from youth categories through national competitions and ultimately onto the senior international stage.
Compound Finals: Quintero and González Secure Podiums
Competition opened on Saturday with the compound events, where local favorite Dafne Quintero captured a silver medal after a hard-fought battle against the United States competitor Alexis Ruiz, who claimed the gold. Colombia’s Sara López rounded out the podium by securing the bronze medal, according to event summaries.
In the men’s compound division, Austria’s Nico Wiener claimed the gold medal, while Mathias Fullerton of Denmark earned the silver. Mexico’s Rodrigo González de Alba completed the podium by securing a bronze medal in front of an appreciative home crowd gathered outside the Palacio de Gobierno.
Recurve Conclusion: International Champions Crowned
Sunday’s recurve matches brought the weekend’s competition to a close. In the men’s division, Dhiraj Bommadevara of India captured the gold medal, followed by Japan’s Junya Nakanishi with the silver. Turkey’s Mete Gazoz earned the bronze medal to complete the men’s podium.
The women’s recurve bracket saw Marie Horáčková of Czechia take the top spot and the gold medal. Germany’s Katharina Bauer secured the silver, while Elif Gokkir of Turkey claimed the bronze. The matches unfolded in an atmosphere described by local organizers as festive, family-friendly, and secure.
Institutional Coordination and State Support
Coahuila Governor Manolo Jiménez Salinas participated in the official inauguration and the participant draw, highlighting the seamless collaboration required between municipal, state, and international bodies to host an event of this magnitude. Jiménez Salinas expressed gratitude to World Archery for entrusting the state with the season finale, emphasizing that teamwork among institutions remains essential for executing high-profile global sports gatherings.
The successful delivery of the tournament reinforces Mexico’s established position within the international archery calendar. Over the past two decades, the country has frequently welcomed the sport’s marquee phase, having previously hosted finals in Mérida in 2006, Mexico City in 2015, Tlaxcala in 2022 and 2024, and Hermosillo in 2023.
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