Athlete of the Week: Celine SCHOBINGER (SUI)

 Nimes 2013    The 23-year-old Swiss archer, who took up the sport in 2003, has been competing internationally since 2005. She won with her team mates Valentine DE GIULI and Tamara STRASSER the silver medal at the European Junior Championships in Algarve in 2007. She showed her great potential when she placed 8th at the Indoor Archery World Cup Final in early 2012.    Last weekend at the European Indoor Tournament in Nimes, Celine SCHOBINGER didn’t lose a single match to emerge as the surprise winner. She defeated the former team indoor world champion Pia LIONETTI (ITA) in the 1/8 elimination round, the world No. 4 Ksenia PEROVA (RUS) in quarterfinals, and the Korean KIM Min Jung in the semifinal. In the gold medal match, Celine SCHOBINGER faced the most successful indoor archer in history, the five-time world champion and current title holder Natalia VALEEVA (ITA).   The young Swiss lost the first set to her experienced opponent (28-30), but recovered from trailing 0-2 to leading 4-2. In the fourth set, Celine SCHOBINGER suffered two 9s, while VALEEVA scored 10-10-10 to tie at 4-4. The fifth set was decisive: VALEEVA scored a 9 and two 10s. The Swiss needed a perfect 30 to take the victory – and she did it! It is the second time a Swiss woman wins the recurve final after Roberta COLOMBINI did it in 2002.     “The hardest match was the first of the day, the 1/8 elimination round. I was surprisingly calm after that and was able to shoot my best”, commented the 23-year-old Swiss. “Shooting the final was different – the venue was dark, and it was my first final. After I lost the first set, I told myself it was now or never, and I tried to better focus on every arrow and score every time a 10. I was able to pull myself together and handle the rest of the match better. To win here is fantastic! I hope to be able to shoot well from the start in my next final.”     A biology student at the University of Lausanne, Celine was not planning to shoot the Las Vegas Tournament this year because of upcoming examinations. However, before Nimes she joked that she would register for Vegas and try to qualify for the Indoor World Cup Final if she won the Nimes tournament. Now that it is done, will she keep her word?   Biography Extract:   Celine SCHOBINGER (SUI) – Born 18 September 1989   1st Individual European Indoor Tournament – Nimes 2013 6th Individual London 2012 Final Qualification Tournament - Ogden 2012 8th Individual Indoor World Cup Final – Las Vegas 2012 2nd Individual Australian Open – Adelaide 2010 2nd Team European Youth Championships – Algarve 2007
More results information on Celine SCHOBINGER and all other archers at the World Archery website.   World Archery Communication