After watching the thrilling final of the 2019 Archery World Championships held in Madrid, we got to meet the new World Junior Archery Champion: Valentina Acosta, a promising young archer from Colombia.
To reach the final of the Madrid World Championship in Olympic Recurve Archery, Valentina defeated the French Lisa Barbelin 7-1 in the semifinals and the Korean Songhui Cha 6-5 in the quarterfinals. She also won 6-4 against the German Elisa Tartler in the round of 16.
The 2019 World Champion in Junior Olympic Recurve Archery faced Ana Paula Vázquez from Mexico in the final, a formidable rival with numerous titles under her belt. Valentina was seen as very confident and enjoying a competition of the highest level. Despite the palpable tension at that moment, Valentina showed great composure, staying focused on her goal, and finally winning 6-0.
She has been practicing archery since 2015 when she started recreationally and gradually grew fond of it. She has also practiced other sports such as swimming and soccer. However, her love, dedication, and effort are all invested in archery.
She is described as an archer with a unique style, which marks her way of shooting. As a great Olympic archer, she is not satisfied with the level and discipline she has demonstrated; she wants to keep working hard to become an even better athlete than she already is. Above all, she does what she loves, as her tattoo on her back so aptly states.
Currently, she trains almost every day of the week for about 4 hours, shooting a minimum of 150 arrows per session, sometimes more than double that. During competition periods, her training increases even further. Effort is key.
It is known that she chose her great Olympic recurve bow not only for its quality but also for its aesthetic. She also attaches decorative little stones to the bow as good luck charms.
Valentina Acosta, the young Colombian promise of Olympic recurve archery, is now part of the Colombian delegation for various high-level archery championships. She currently trains in Medellín with the adult national team.