British World Number One, Ella Gibson, was announced as the best archer of 2022 ahead of finals at the first stage of the 2023 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Turkey.

The 22-year-old from Cirencester won all three stages of the international circuit in which she competed last year, took gold at the World Games and finished runner-up at her first Hyundai Archery World Cup Final to all-world peer, Sara Lopez.

She is also the only person in the history of archery to have won seven gold medals in one year.

Gibson was also confirmed as the winner of the compound women’s category award and the overall trophy – which was presented for the first time in a decade.

Members of the public, the executive board and a panel of archery journalists voted for the category awards from shortlists on the World Archery Awards minisite.  These athlete awards are presented to the four individual championship categories on the international circuit – recurve men, recurve women, compound men and compound women – as well as para men and women. 

Gibson’s win of the compound women award breaks Sara Lopez’s hold on the trophy, which stretched back to 2015.

The overall award was selected only by journalists – and there were no nominees. Voters were simply asked to name the best and second-best archers of the year. Sixteen athletes received votes and Gibson was the clear favourite.

"I will always remember it. It was just an amazing year," said Gibson after being told of the achievement.

"Of course, winning the World Cup Final would have been the cherry on the cake, but if I’d done that where else was there to go?

"I had no idea about the award, and I certainly didn’t expect this at all. Thank you and thanks to everyone who voted."