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Wroclaw 2015: What you need to know

10 août 2015

Copenhagen (DEN)

Vrai nom:

After a short break (from the Archery World Cup, not from archery – as we had two worlds and two continental Games), the Archery World Cup is back and underway.

The third stage of this year’s circuit is in Poland, with Shanghai and Antalya done, and Medellin to come.

It’s a pivotal event. The stage at which a huge proportion of the Archery World Cup Final – in Mexico City in 2015 – invitations are decided. Competition for coveted ranking points promises to be fierce.

Here’s what you need to know…

Five facts

1. It’s hot. Like, really hot.

Lows of 32 and a high of 38 degrees Celsius throughout the competition week are predicted. (That’s between 90 to 100+ Fahrenheit.)

Advantage for athletes used to the heat or just for those who’ve prepared their equipment and themselves for a roasting? One thing’s for sure – there’ll be a lot of empty water bottles at the end of this week!

2. The medal matches in Poland take place next to the dancing fountains at Centennial Hall in Wroclaw. So – at least, for those who make it that far – there’ll be a little water in the air to help cool down as the heat ramps up in the competition.

3. Three-time Archery World Cup Final Champion Brady Ellison, the USA’s king of the top-eight finishes (he’s recorded eight quarterfinal-plus appearances out of 10 stages since the start of 2013) is in fourth in the Archery World Cup rankings.

He’s square on track to make a SIXTH final in a row. (He’s medalled at every one since 2010.)

4. Some teams have been away from home for over a month landing at Wroclaw. From Toronto and the Pan Ams to Copenhagen, then a training camp in Legnica and onto the World Cup stage host city.

That’s a long time on the road.

5. While the 2015 event is the last of a three-year stop in Wroclaw for the Archery World Cup circuit, the city will host the World Games in 2017. So… we’ll be back.

Four athletes on the bubble

In one week’s time, Wroclaw will be done, and between 10 and 20 athletes will know if they’ve won an invitation to the 2015 Archery World Cup Final in Mexico City. The top seven in each division qualify, joining a Mexican representative at the circuit’s finale.

For those on the bubble, within reach of a spot, Wroclaw is nothing less than crucial.

Lucas Daniel – After a disappointing start to the French recurve squad’s season, Lucas has a last 16 and a last 32 finish at the first two Archery World Cup stages of the year.

That puts him in 12th position in the Archery World Cup rankings, and needing at least an 8th place finish or above in Poland to jump into a Mexico City qualifying place. He’s finished that high once before: at Wroclaw 2014!

Zahra Nemati – Paralympic Champion, Asian Para Games Champion and World Archery Para Champion. The 13th ranked recurve women’s athlete after two World Cup stages could make history.

She would be the first recurve Paralympic winner to make an Archery World Cup Final if she managed the feat, after compounder Danielle Brown, from Britain, shot at and won silver at Tokyo 2012.

Rajat Chauhan – Despite the fact Rajat hasn’t made it past the last 16 at an event in 2015, he’s in prime position to jump up to the top of the compound men’s leaderboard at stage three. He sits 15th and is fresh off a worlds runner-up finish.

Crystal Gauvin – Second at the Copenhagen worlds in only her sophomore international season, Crystal has already established herself as a popular, and successful, face on the shooting line.

In a four-way tie for seventh place in the rankings before Wroclaw, finishing higher than Italy’s Laura Longo and Runa Grydeland (the other two of the tied four shooting in Poland) would secure her a provisional finals spot.

Three storylines

1. B-Teams. Italy, Japan, Russia and Ukraine have all brought B or alternate teams to Wroclaw.

We don’t know for sure whether the (mostly) younger teams have beaten out their more established counterparts or if it’s a “gain more international experience” deal.

Either way, Wroclaw is set to be a good gauge of elite athlete depth in various regions of the world.

2. Korea have not sent any teams to Poland (the only stage in 2015 the nation is not attending) – nor has Chinese Taipei. Who’ll fill the void?

3. Sixteen of the teams in attendance have three or less archers competing. Those athletes are here for one reason: World Cup ranking points.

Just how many achieve that goal without the normal squad support will be interesting to watch.

Two bold predictions

Iran won its first world title in Copenhagen with its compound men’s squad. With a big, 12-athlete squad in Wroclaw, including a full complement of recurve women and those world gold medallist compounders, and shooting under similar conditions to home soil…

…the nation could take two, or even more, podiums in Poland.

Brazilian wunderkind Marcus D’Almeida won silver at the Archery World Cup Final in 2014 but halfway through the 2015 season he’s recorded all of zero ranking points on the circuit.

That is about to change. He won the youth worlds in Yankton and made the quarters in Copenhagen – and however poorly his year started, the Marcus we saw in 2014 is back.