By Angelica Medina
PUEBLA, Mexico, April 12 (Reuters) - Mexico won three bronze medals in the first leg of the 2026 Archery World Cup in Puebla on Sunday, sending a clear message in the season's opener: Los Angeles 2028 is their target.
Over 200 archers from 32 countries competed in Stage 1 of the four-stage annual tournament in Mexico, battling in the recurve and compound divisions, with the host nation delivering on both fronts.
The recurve women's team - Alejandra Valencia, Ana Paula Vazquez and Angela
Ruiz - took bronze against Spain, winning 6-2.
"With this third place we have a good starting point ahead of the Olympics ... It's proof that we can achieve more, and that's our goal as a team," Vazquez told reporters on Sunday.
Mexico's other bronze winners were the compound women's team of Andrea Becerra, Dafne Quintero and Ana Sofia Hernandez, who beat Turkey 233-230, and the compound men's team of Sebastian Garcia, Juan Del Rio and Lot Maximo Mendez, who defeated Denmark 233-226.
The compound mixed team event will make its Olympic debut at the LA28 Games, making every result between now and then count.
On the individual stage, Mexico's Matias Grande reached the men's semifinals, where he fell to defending World Cup champion Brady Ellison of the U.S., then lost the bronze match to Turkey's Mete Gazoz.
In compound, Quintero similarly reached the final four before losing to Colombia's Sara Lopez, then fell to another Colombian, Alejandra Usquiano, in the bronze match.
The event itself was no small undertaking.
Mexico stepped in to host after Central Florida lost its rights, with World Archery Mexico President Gabriel Ramos embracing the opportunity to showcase Puebla, navigating city authorities, logistics and the weight of expectation.
"It was a challenge to convince all the authorities and to explain the size of this event," Ramos told Reuters.
The crowds, as ever in Mexico, rose to the occasion. "I believe this happens only in Mexico," Ramos said, "to have people cheering not just for Mexicans - for the other countries."
With Mexico also staging the 20th anniversary World Cup Final in Saltillo and 60% of the national team hailing from Coahuila, that event in September promises to be something special. "It's going to be a great celebration," Ramos said.
The longer goal is clear, he said. "We are a strong team, we want to be in LA, and we are building and working for that every day."
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Sonali Paul)
