BERLIN, Germany – Casey Kaufhold is through to the quarterfinals of the recurve women’s event at the World Archery Championships after a grueling day three in Germany, and she will resume her push for the podium on Sunday when facing An San of Korea.
Kaufhold came through four matches on Thursday to set up her meeting with the number four seed, with a semifinal spot on the line, and the chance to be another step closer to securing one of the three quota slots on offer in Berlin for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
As with the Paralympic Games qualification process, quota spots do not go to the individual archer or team, rather to the country. To select athletes to the U.S. team quota slots, USA Archery hosts a multi-stage U.S. Team Olympic Trials.
The 19-year-old from Lancaster, PA saw off Urantungalag Bishindee of Mongolia 7-1 in the 1/48th round, before 6-0 wins over Salome Kharshiladze (GEO) and Jindriska Vanek Vaneckova (CZE), and then a come-from-behind 6-2 success over Penny Healey (GBR).
Teammates Catalina GNoriega and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez both came through their opening round matches. Mucino-Fernandez then dipped out at the 1/24th round, with GNoriega defeating Ezgi Basaran (TUR) prior to a 1/16th round loss to Gaby Schloesser.
Brady Ellison got to the 1/8th round before losing out to Turkish 10th seed Mete Gazoz. Jackson Mirich defeated Jeff Henckels (LUX) 7-3 in his opening encounter, at the 1/48th stage, before Abdullah Yildirmis, also from Turkey, ended his run. Jack Williams lost out to Nicholas D’Amour (ISV).
In the compound category, Liko Arreola, Olivia Dean and Alexis Ruiz all won through to the 1/16th round before falling. Arreola and Dean, both just 16, came through two matches before defeat. Dean lost out to the reigning world champion, Sara Lopez (COL). The men of Nick Kappers, Kris Schaff and Sawyer Sullivan all succumbed a round earlier.
Ruiz and Sullivan are the only team members in action on Friday as they face Colombia in the final of the compound mixed team.
