The World Archery Lockdown Knockout was 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 received 1,000 Swiss Francs (CHF), or about $1,028 US dollars, and runner-up 500 CHF in prize money.
Matches were filmed by the competitors themselves with mobile phones, and a live broadcast with two announcers was produced from a remote location. Coverage was 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 participated in the event.
2020 World Archery Lockdown Knockout Structure
World Archery rules applied wherever possible, with commonsense adjustments due to limitations caused by the remote nature of the event.
- Format: The target was a 40cm triple-spot target face, triangular or vertical, set at 18 meters.
- 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 consisted of 15 arrows with ties resolved in a single-arrow shoot-off.
- Linecutters: Any decision normally requiring a judge (primarily linecutters) were decided between the athletes, by the live stream host or, if possible, by allowing the viewing public to vote. These decisions were final.
- Spirit: While a winner was crowned, this event was focused on entertainment. Participants were encouraged to embrace the spirit of the event.
This unique take on tournament archery was 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 simply made the 2-centimeter 10-ring much harder to hit.
Anders Faugstad shot in a well-equipped indoor range in Norway, while Sara Lopez had a target placed in her back garden in Colombia.
Check out the video below showing a full replay (44 minutes) of the World Archery Lockdown Knockout final between Anders Faugstad and Sara Lopez.
If you don’t have time to watch the entire final match, but want to see a 90-second recap, then watch the video below.
