Spain’s Isabel Fernandez Jimenez has set a new W1 women’s world record for the 60-arrow qualification at 18 metres after shooting 567 points at the national para archery indoor championships in Jaén on 21 February.
After a nervous start, she settled into the competition and delivered a strong finish to secure both the Spanish record and, pending ratification, the world record.
“Honestly, at the beginning, like in most competitions, I’m usually a bit nervous,” Isabel said. “As we get into the competition, I tend to relax. I was able to really enjoy the competition, my teammates and the conversations we had with my father, with Ruben [Montes] and with the rest of the athletes.”
Knowing the record was within reach added pressure late on, but also motivation.
“When I realised that with three good final arrows I could break the Spanish record, I got a little more nervous,” she added. “But it went really well.”
Confirmation of the world mark came as a surprise.
“When they told me, at first it was hard to believe,” the 38-year-old said. “It felt incredible, especially for the short time I’ve been training. But it has motivated me to keep training; I’m really eager to continue, to improve and to keep trying to break records.”
Before taking up archery, Fernandez Jimenez enjoyed a successful multisport para career. She won three world titles and four European championships in para-karate before being forced to step away from the sport due to a degenerative illness, later competing in para-cycling and para-powerlifting and earning national and European medals.
After being advised in 2023 that she could no longer continue in para-karate, Fernandez Jimenez was introduced to archery through a programme at the National Paraplegic Hospital in Toledo. She began training in late 2023, obtained her archery licence in early 2024 and was selected for Spain’s para archery national trials later that year.
She won gold on her international debut at the Para Archery European Cup in Rome in May 2025. She has since medalled at all three of her international appearances, including silver medals in Nove Mesto in August and at the World Archery Para Championships in Gwangju in September, rising to world number two in the W1 women’s category.
Header image courtesy Spanish archery federation.
