Durban archer scoops bronze at World Championships
Danya Thompson was impressive on the global stage as she won a bronze medal at the World Championships for archery.
DURBAN Girls’ High School learner Danya Thompson has just returned from the United Kingdom where she represented her country at the IFAA (International Field Archery Association), World Indoor Archery Championships with the South Africa National Indoor and Field Archery Association (SANIFAA).
The talented archer won a bronze medal, placing her third in the world for her category (JFFU). In first place was South Africa’s Joané Coetzee, followed by Germany’s Zoe Trautewig in second place.
“I was very excited. It was overwhelming,” said Thompson of her achievement.
She explained that the competition consisted of three different sessions, including a flint round, which was new to her.
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“[In a flint round], you get a whole bunch of different distances and two different targets. You have to go from each distance and shoot four arrows per target. At the end, you will have a walk up, which means one arrow from each distance,” explained Thompson.
Her bronze achievement is not a first for Thompson – she ‘hit the bull’s eye’ when she attended the World Championships in New Zealand in 2019 and placed first in the U12 category. She took up the sport at just five years old, following in her parents’ footsteps.
Thompson was presented with her Protea Blazer for archery ahead of her UK trip. Looking ahead, the talented Thompson will likely compete in indoor archery nationals later in the year. She is also considering trying out for the South African women’s team for outdoor archery.
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