American star Brady Ellison has pipped Olympic champion Ku Bonchan of South Korea to top spot ©World Archery

American star Brady Ellison has pipped Olympic champion Ku Bonchan of South Korea to top spot on the unofficial list of the three "best archers of 2016" compiled by the sport’s worldwide governing body.

The duo are joined by Colombia’s Sara Lopez, who finished the year as the top-ranked women’s competitor in the non-Olympic compound discipline.

The three athletes were not chosen based on number of medals won nor by records broken "but of those archers that, throughout the year of 2016, stood out as simply exceptional", World Archery said.

Ku became only the second archer in history to do the double of individual and team gold when he achieved the feat at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The South Korean overcame Jean-Charles Valladont of France in the individual final at Rio 2016, while he put in a superb display to help his nation to the team title.

The 23-year-old hit six 10s in the gold medal contest to propel his team, which also included Lee Seung-yun and Kim Woo-jin, to victory against an American side which featured Ellison as well as Zach Garrett and Jake Kaminski.

Ellison arrived at the Games as one of the favourites to claim individual gold but had to settle for bronze.

It still proved to be a fruitful year for the 28-year-old, who is yet to top an Olympic podium, as he won a record fourth Archery World Cup Final title in Odense in Denmark as well as gold at the World Field Archery Championships in Dublin.

Ku Bonchan won two gold medals at the Olympic Games in Rio ©World Archery
Ku Bonchan won two gold medals at the Olympic Games in Rio ©World Archery

Ellison finished the year in style, smashing the indoor ranking round world record with a score of 598 at the Indoor Archery World Cup in Marrakesh in November.

His success came despite recovering from knee surgery.

"It has been a great year," the American said.

"I don’t know if it’s the best in my life but it has been good. 

"I won a few shoots and broke a world record and got an Olympic medal."

Third-placed Lopez secured three World Cup triumphs, in Shanghai, Antalya and Medellin.

The Colombian has not lost a competitive world-level match since the semi-final at the World Archery Championships in 2015.

Chang Hye-jin of South Korea, winner of the women’s individual event at Rio 2016, was among those given honourable mentions by World Archery.

The official Athlete of the Year trophies will not be handed out until World Archery’s Gala in February.

Voting for the awards closed on Saturday (December 31).