Archery Championships & Disciplines

World Archery Championships Favorites

August 20, 2026 / 6 min read

World Archery Championships Favorites

As World Archery prepares its calendar for the second half of the decade, the World Archery Championships remain the sport’s premier outdoor test of accuracy, nerves and matchplay. This guide looks at the likely favourites for the next global target championships, explains the betting markets an archery bettor should expect to see, and outlines the evidence behind each selection — using verified results, World Archery rankings and recent form. Wherever possible the article separates confirmed fact (dates, recent champions, rankings) from editorial assessment and betting advice.

Context: which World Championships are we previewing

World Archery has confirmed the next Hyundai World Archery Championships will be staged in Medellín, Colombia, with the Championships scheduled for 20–27 September 2027 (the World Archery Executive Board confirmed the 2027 international calendar in July 2026). (worldarchery.sport)

That follows the most recent target championships in Gwangju, South Korea (5–12 September 2025), where new world champions were crowned in both recurve and compound events. Those 2025 results and the ongoing World Archery rankings form the primary evidence base we use below when identifying favourites for Medellín. (worldarchery.sport)

What this preview covers — and what it doesn’t

Coverage: recurve and compound senior target events (individuals, teams and mixed teams) and the markets bettors normally see around a World Championships (match winner, outright, set/handicap and selected prop markets).
Not covered: guaranteed odds, specific bookmaker pricing or lines (we do not invent odds). Any bookmaker references are about observed market behaviour and documented coverage patterns.
Timing caveat: official entry lists and seedings for Medellín 2027 will be published closer to the event; our “favourites” are therefore based on verified recent champions, World Archery ranking positions and 2026 form — not on confirmed start lists for 2027. (worldarchery.sport)

Why recent world championships and rankings matter for betting

World Championships carry the highest available ranking points and attract full national teams; they are the events where bettors can find the deepest liquid markets in archery. World Archery updates rankings after eligible events and that rankings feed both public expectation and bookmaker pricing. In addition, champions from the most recent edition (Gwangju 2025) often remain market references for the subsequent championship cycle, especially where archers remain active and injury-free. (worldarchery.sport)

Top-level market availability (what bookies usually offer)

Archery markets are not a permanent staple on every bookmaker menu. Major operators typically add individual-match and outright markets for the Olympic Games, Hyundai World Archery Championships and Hyundai Archery World Cup stages; live/in-play match markets are sometimes available during elimination rounds but depth varies by operator and jurisdiction. Comparative guides and UK-focused live-betting surveys show that Bet365, Unibet and several global operators have historically published archery markets for major events, while specialist odds compilers and exchanges can offer better liquidity for head-to-head match bets where those markets exist. Bettors should expect markets to appear primarily in the weeks and days around major events rather than continuously. (livepanthers.com)

World Archery also treats betting and anti-corruption as competition-sensitive: member associations and event organisers operate under rules that recognise betting-related activities and aim to protect integrity. That means markets and match availability can be affected by federation/external rules and local betting regulation. (extranet.worldarchery.sport)

How we pick a “favourite” — editorial criteria

Recent world-level results (World Championships, World Cup finals and World Cup stages) — winners and finalists carry demonstrable matchplay form. (en.wikipedia.org)
World Archery ranking position and stability (regular top-10 presence over 12 months). (worldarchery.sport)
Head-to-head records and event-specific performance (for example performance in windy venues, high-altitude experience, continental and World Cup rounds).
National team selection depth: in nations with strong selection systems (South Korea, United States, India, Netherlands) a top-ranked archer still must survive domestic trials to appear — so national selection timing matters for betting prospects.

Favourites by discipline (evidence-based shortlists)

Below are the most credible favourites heading into the 2027 championship cycle, with short notes summarising the evidence. This is not a guaranteed list of entrants for Medellín — it is a prediction of who bookmakers and bettors will be watching closely, based on verified results and rankings through mid‑2026.

Recurve — Men

Andrés Temiño (Spain) — 2025 men’s individual world champion in Gwangju; a recent world-title performance makes him an obvious favourite reference when bookies set outright lines. (en.wikipedia.org)
Marcus D’Almeida (Brazil) — long-established top-tier performer and, through early‑2026 ranking updates, a consistent top challenger in the recurve men’s list. Recent season victories on the World Cup circuit and strong qualification performances keep him prominent in market pricing. (worldarchery.sport)
Brady Ellison (USA) — proven matchplay pedigree and a perennial market mover; his world ranking, experience and US team role mean bookmakers often list him among the leaders for majors. (handwiki.org)
Kim Je‑deok / Kim Woo‑jin (Korea) — Korea’s depth is historically decisive; even if not always top-ranked, Korean archers remain forced favourites in many matches because of their national team training system and championship experience. (worldarchery.sport)

Recurve — Women

Kang Chae‑young (Korea) — Gwangju 2025 women’s champion; recent world championship gold makes her the principal reference for outright markets in the next cycle. (worldarchery.sport)
An San / Lim Si‑hyeon (Korea) — Olympic medallists and regular top performers; selection battles in Korea can complicate direct lines but both are names bookmakers monitor closely. (worldarchery.sport)
Lisa Barbelin (France), Deepika Kumari (India), Casey Kaufhold (USA) — world-class matchplay athletes who appear in major event markets when form and entries align. (handwiki.org)

Compound — Men

Nicolas Girard (France) — 2025 world compound champion (Gwangju) and therefore a primary reference name in outright markets for compound men. (en.wikipedia.org)
Mike Schloesser (Netherlands) — long-term world No.1 candidate in compound men’s rankings and regular World Cup favourite; bettors and bookies treat him as a must-watch for match and outright markets. (worldarchery.sport)
Mathias Fullerton (Denmark) and other World Cup regulars — the compound field is deep and the World Cup season produces many market contenders. (archerycare.com)

Compound — Women

Andrea Becerra (Mexico) — 2025 compound women’s world champion; a recent world title plus World Cup success makes Becerra the leading name for compound women’s outright markets. (en.wikipedia.org)
Ella Gibson (Great Britain) — a World Cup and World Games calibre archer who sits near the top of compound rankings and is always priced into outright markets. (worldarchery.sport)
Jyothi Surekha Vennam (India) and Sara López (Colombia) — experienced, top-ranked performers who can shift live and outright markets, particularly at events in the Americas. (handwiki.org)

Event/venue factors that affect who’s favourite

Beyond raw ranking and recent medals, a few venue-specific and situational factors usually influence both sporting outcomes and betting prices at a World Championships:

Altitude and air density — Medellín sits at roughly 1,400–1,500 m above sea level. Thinner air reduces drag, which can slightly change arrow flight characteristics and arrow speed. Archers who train or compete regularly at altitude can have an advantage until others adapt. Bettors should treat venue altitude as a real — if often subtle — factor when comparing archers from near‑sea‑level training environments. (en.wikipedia.org)
Wind and local weather — South American valley and mountain venues can produce variable crosswinds; archers with proven performance in windy World Cup stages or continental events will usually be favoured in markets priced for variable conditions. (archysport.com)
National selection timing — some top archers must win their national trials to appear at Worlds; in deep programs (Korea, USA), market lines may shift the moment a national federation publishes its final team. (worldarchery.sport)

What markets to expect (and how archery bettors use them)

Typical markets added around World Archery Championships include:

Outright winner (individual) — low frequency but highest profile; shaped by recent world-championship winners and top-10 ranking stability. (en.wikipedia.org)
Match winner (head‑to‑head) — the most common market during elimination rounds; bettors look to head‑to‑head records and a shooter’s “set resilience” to find edges. (bettingranker.co.uk)
Set handicap / match margin —