Medellin will host the Pan American Archery Championships from tomorrow ©World Archery

Athletes competing at the Pan American Archery Championships will have the first chance to qualify for next year's Pan American Games in Lima as Medellin prepares to welcome the continent's best.

The event, which begins in the Colombian city tomorrow, is the opening qualification tournament for Lima 2019.

The Games in the Peruvian capital will be the first edition of the event to feature both recurve and compound competitions.

A total of 84 archers will compete in Lima, 64 recurve and 20 compound, split equally between the two genders.

The Pan American Championships is a key event on the path to Lima 2019 as it is one of only two qualifying competitions for next year's Games.

World number two Sara Lopez is among the headline names due to compete in Medellin ©World Archery
World number two Sara Lopez is among the headline names due to compete in Medellin ©World Archery

Forty-six places in the recurve event and 16 in the compound tournaments at Lima 2019 will be on offer at the Pan American Championships.

World number two Sara Lopez is the favourite for victory in the women's compound event and will be hoping to use home advantage in her quest for continental glory.

The 23-year-old two-time world champion and reigning World Games gold medallist recently triumphed at the Central American and Caribbean Games in the Colombian city of Barranquilla.

Action at the Campo tiro con arco is scheduled to conclude on Sunday (August 19).