Andrea Becerra ended her Hyundai Archery World Cup gold drought with a thrilling shoot-off victory, claiming the top spot at Central Florida 2025, the first stage of the year.
After falling short in two gold medal matches last year, the 24-year-old Mexican delivered a perfect arrow in the shoot-off against USA’s Olivia Dean, who herself secured a first World Cup individual medal with silver.
Becerra was one point up, 116-115, heading into the fifth and final end, but at the last hurdle could not replicate her prior end’s perfect score of 30, shooting 28 points, whilst stage debutant Dean tied the scores with a 29.
Becerra led by one point, 116-115, entering the final end but scored 28, allowing Dean to tie with a 29. Undeterred, Becerra overcame her past shoot-off loss to Jyothi Surekha Vennam in Shanghai 2024, hitting the X-ring to edge out Dean’s 10.
“It feels great,” said an emotional Becerra, who also beat compatriot and eventual bronze medallist Mariana Bernal in the semifinals. “I wanted this moment, I’ve been working towards this since qualification, and I’m so happy I get to take the gold home this time.”
“I felt like that last 10 was a bit lucky, I was just so focused in the shoot-off. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to shake, so I might as well shake it in the middle’. And it worked out just fine.”
This is one first major honour for Becerra, with two more major goals for the year: the World Archery Championships in Gwangju, after she came so close to being crowned champion in 2023, only losing to Aditi Gopichand Swami, and the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Nanjing, for which she is already qualified as a stage winner.
