Aida ROMAN lone challenger to another Korean podium sweep as semifinalists decided in Telford

Olympic silver medallist Aida ROMAN is the lone challenger to an all-Korean recurve women’s podium in Telford. She is joined in the last four by top-qualifier KIM Yu Mi, defending Indoor Archery World Cup Champion JEON Sungeun and their teammate PARK Sehui. 

In her 1/8 elimination match, ROMAN came up against the coach that helped her win silver at the London Olympics. Songi WOO, who is now part of Team GB, had the full support of the home contingent against her former pupil! It pushed Songi to a 4-2 set points lead, before ROMAN launched a determined comeback, won two sets in a row and sent her past tutor packing.

Second-seeded recurve man Sjef VAN DEN BERG, who equalled his personal best on the ranking round, will have a tough time against current World Indoor Cup ranking leader in the recurve men’s division, Jean Charles VALLADONT, in the semis.

Top qualifier Brady ELLISON lost to Thomas FAUCHERON in the quarterfinals in a one-arrow shoot-off. Both shot 10s, but FAUCHERON’s arrow was closer to the middle of the target. It won him a place in the semis, where he faces experienced German archer Sebastian ROHRBERG.

After winning World Archery’s Female Athlete of the Year award, and being nominated for the Athlete of the World Games title (the public vote is open until 31 January 2014), Erika JONES has a chance to start this season right where she left off in 2013. Her compound women’s semifinal opponent, Germany’s Janine MEISSNER, arrived on the world scene with a silver at the Wuxi World Archery Youth Championships.

Eleventh-seeded Dane Camilla SOEMOD and 10th-ranked Jamie VAN NATTA will battle for a finals spot in the other semifinal, after the pair combined to knock out two-time world champion Albina LOGINOVA (RUS), third seed Christie COLIN (USA) and the seventh-ranked silver-medallist in Marrakesh, Inge VAN CASPEL (NED).

With just 12 points on the ranking round separating the top qualifier and 32nd seed in the compound men’s competition, no match was predictable. Denmark’s Stephan HANSEN lost to three-time Singapore champion Reo WILDE, who then went out to Peter ELZINGA (NED) – putting him into a semifinal first-time Indoor World Cup competitor from the USA, Levi MORGAN.

Outdoor World Champion Mike SCHLOESSER is in the other semifinal, against another new face from the States – who claimed the second seed after qualification – Paul TEDFORD.

Semifinalists

 

 Category  Match 1 Match 2 Recurve women Aida ROMAN (MEX) KIM Yu Mi (KOR)  JEON Sungeun (KOR) PARK Sehui (KOR)  Recurve men Thomas
 FAUCHERON (FRA) Sebastian
 ROHRBERG (GER) Jean Charles VALLADONT (FRA)  Sjef VAN DEN BERG (NED) Compound women Erika JONES (USA) Janine MEISSNER (GER) Camilla SOEMOD (DEN) Jamie VAN NATTA (USA)  Compound men Peter ELZINGA (NED) Levi MORGAN (USA)  Mike SCHLOESSER (NED)  Paul TEDFORD (USA)

 

See full results from the eliminations and photos from the third stage of the Indoor Archery World Cup in Telford.

Competition continues tomorrow morning with the European Archery Festival’s second chance shoot, followed by the junior finals and senior semifinals in the morning. In the afternoon, senior finals take centre stage in the spectator arena.

Live stream

The bronze and gold finals matches in Telford are being live broadcast on Archery TV. Coverage starts at 13h55 local time (GMT), and ends after the award ceremony at around 16h30.

The European Archery Festival in Telford is the third stage of the 2013/14 Indoor Archery World Cup. Check the event website, follow it on Facebook and Twitter, and keep up to date with live scores throughout the competition.

World Archery Communication