REMOTE-COACHED ARCHER TAKES THE TOP SPOT AT US NATIONALS

Alex Zuleta-visser of Florida, USA, took first place at the US Open elimination competition in senior recurve women, beating Erin Mickelberry, 6-2.

She is one of several athletes coached remotely, or with a mix of direct and remote coaching by Alexander Kirillov, a former international from the Soviet Union who moved to the USA in the 1990s, and is based in Arizona.

Zuleta, who now studies in Georgia, has limited opportunities for direct coaching. "I didn't have a coach for several years. When I first started, there weren't really any coaches in the area, and the nearest big centre was over two hours away.

When she found Kirillov, via another archer at a tournament, she started a mix of in-person and remote coaching. "I send video and discuss things on the phone, and then I would go out to Arizona whenever I had a break from school, or spend a few days there before a tournament."

Zuleta, now on the World Cup squad, has ambitions to shoot a World Cup next year. "The Olympics is a big deal, and everyone is all about that, but for me its always been about going to the World Cups and interacting with all those amazing archers. The Olympics is in the future, but I want to shoot international events first."