In a second quarterfinal shoot-off in the World Archery Lockdown Knockout, Sara Lopez took match over Toja Ellison by a slim margin. The center bull's-eye, the 10-ring, measures only 2 centimeters in diameter.
If you’re starving to watch live sports during these “shelter in place” orders, take a break from constant coronavirus news and watch some topnotch target archery.
The World Archery Lockdown Knockout is the first remote archery competition to be streamed live on the federation’s digital channels. Eight compound archers – four men and four women – were invited to take part in the first edition of the tournament, which started with a qualification period on May 1 and match play following on May 9-17. The winner of the event will receive 1,000 Swiss Francs (CHF), or about $1,028 US dollars, and runner-up 500 CHF in prize money.
Matches are filmed by the competitors with mobile phones, and a live broadcast with two announcers is produced from a remote location. Coverage is available live on World Archery’s YouTube and Facebook platforms.
Only archers who can safely shoot in socially distanced settings and in accordance with local health guidance are participating.
World Archery has suspended its international competition calendar due to the current outbreak of COVID-19. No physical events will take place before the start of July, with the situation reviewed monthly.
2020 World Archery Lockdown Knockout Structure
World Archery rules apply wherever possible, with commonsense adjustments due to limitations caused by the remote nature of the event.
- Format: The target is a 40cm triple-spot target face, triangular or vertical, set at 18 meters. The 10-ring is only 2cm in diameter.
- Qualification: The ranking round consisted of 60 arrows. Men were seeded on one side of an elimination bracket and women on the other.
- Matchplay: Each match consists of 15 arrows with ties resolved in a single-arrow shoot-off.
- Linecutters: Any decision normally requiring a judge (primarily linecutters) are decided between the athletes, by the live stream host or, if possible, by allowing the viewing public to vote. These decisions are final.
- Spirit: While a winner will be crowned, this event is focused on entertainment. Participants are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the event.
Competition Technical Details
Participating archers send two IP video streams – archer and target – via mobile phones on 4G or laptops on stable wifi to a remote production site. The signals are mixed with graphics and commentary in Vmix and streamed live by World Archery.
Competitors will see the broadcast available to the public only during the filming of the production. They can interact with their opponent and commentators.
For an example of the competition and the broadcast, check out the video below to see quarterfinal No. 3 of World Archery Lockdown Knockout Live between Paige Pearce and Linda Ochoa-Anderson. (Viewing FYI: If you want to skip through the preliminary discussions, which are interesting and informative, then the actual shooting begins at the 14:15 mark.)
To see the single arrow shoot-off in quarterfinal No. 4 between Sara Lopez and Toja Ellison, watch the 2-minute video below.
Upcoming Matches
Anders Faugstad is set to face Mike Schloesser in the Lockdown Knockout men’s semifinal on May 14, while Paige Pearce takes on Sara Lopez in the women’s side of the bracket one day later. Both matches commence at 10 a.m. CST and will be streamed live across World Archery’s digital platforms.
The grand final of the tournament will feature the remaining unbeaten man against the last unbeaten woman. The Lockdown Knockout winner will be decided on May 17.
This unique take on tournament archery has been made all the more interesting due to a rule limiting the size of arrows. Despite shooting 18 meters, the eight compound archers were only permitted to use thin shafts more suited to 50 meters. It’s made the 2-centimeter 10-ring much harder to hit.
In the next match, May 14, between Anders Faugstad and Mike Schloesser, Anders will shoot in a well-equipped indoor range in Norway. Mike will shoot in his garden in the Netherlands. On May 15 in the semifinal featuring the women, Pearce goes against Lopez. Pearce’s range stretches from her California home’s kitchen to the back door, while Lopez’s target is in her back garden in Colombia.
