South Africa’s Danelle Wentzel will be aiming to extend her lead in the women’s compound rankings this weekend as the second stage of the Indoor Archery World Cup takes place in Bangkok ©World Archery

South Africa’s Danelle Wentzel will be aiming to increase her lead in the women’s compound rankings this weekend as the second stage of the Indoor Archery World Cup takes place in Bangkok.

The 21-year-old is the only winner from the opening leg in Moroccan city Marrakesh to make the journey to Thailand’s capital for the last event of the year.

American Brady Ellison, who shot a world record qualification score of 598 on his way to winning the men’s recurve event in Marrakesh, is not competing.

Looking to take advantage of his absence will be Olympic champion Ku Bonchan of South Korea, fresh from matching Ellison’s world record in his first indoor event at the World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne last week.

Ku is one of four South Korean individual Olympic champions competing in Bangkok along with London 2012 men’s gold medallist Oh Jin Hyek, Rio 2016 women’s gold medallist Chang Hye Jin and Sydney 2000 women’s gold medallist Yun Mi Jin.

Among the other names to look out for at the two-day event is The Netherlands’ Mike Schloesser, the men’s compound runner-up to Denmark’s Stephan Hansen in Marrakesh.

Russia's Sofia Goncharova is in line for a return to action in Bangkok after seven years off the World Cup circuit ©World Archery
Russia's Sofia Goncharova is in line for a return to action in Bangkok after seven years off the World Cup circuit ©World Archery

Meanwhile, Russia’s Sofia Goncharova is set for a return to action in Bangkok after seven years off the World Cup circuit.

The last time she made an appearance at an international event was in 2009 when she competed at the outdoor legs in Shanghai.

Goncharova, who won the women’s compound event at the inaugural outdoor Archery World Cup Final in Mexican city Mérida in 2006, has since been focusing on her family life having had two children.

Action in Bangkok is due to begin tomorrow with three qualification sessions; men’s compound, followed by women’s recurve and compound, then men’s recurve.

Eliminations and finals are scheduled for Sunday (December 11).

A total of 332 athletes from 29 countries are registered, marking the largest total at a leg to date.

Last year’s gold medallists in Bangkok were Ellison in the men’s recurve, Mexico’s Aida Roman in the women’s recurve, Reo Wilde in the men’s compound and Slovenia’s Toja Ellison in the women’s compound.