Emotions ran high at the end of day four in Central Florida as Casey Kaufhold and Penny Healey secured their World Cup returns to recurve women final fours.
Neither athlete had featured in an individual semifinal on archery’s premier international circuit since 2023 and coming back after a year away from competing on stages brought tears out of both.
“It means so much to start a season off like this,” said the 2025 Indoor World Series champion Kaufhold after cheers for the American from friends and family rang out at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. “It feels really good to do it on home soil, it feels even better to be here and have my family here.”
On whom was there watching she revealed, “My mum, my dad, my coach, her whole family and all my teammates. It’s really great to have one big archery family watching.”
The same level of emotional outburst can be said for under 18 world record holder Healey of Great Britain and for good reason.
The now 20 year old sprung into the upper echelons of world archery when she won the 2022 Indoor World Series Finals at just 17 but before Nimes this January, where she claimed gold, hadn’t won an individual medal since the Krakow-Malopolska 2023 European Games, a 19 month absence from the podium.
“I’ve had a really tough year the past 2023/2024 and through the Games, so I think to come back on this is really good for me.”
“Today, I think I just have so much more confidence than I did last year,” added Healey who was so excited she swore out loud at the target after discovering the winning shot against Elia Canales, she defeated the Spanish archer 6-2 in the recurve set play system. “I had more confidence that my shot would be strong, I’ve got confidence in my equipment and I’m really happy with the place I am in right now.”
