Ogden World Cup at the Heart of the Archery Season

 Athletes from 36 countries, including most archers who will compete in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, will take part in the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Ogden, the third stop on this season’s tour. Competitions have already been held in Porec (Croatia) and Antalya (Turkey); Shanghai (China) is next up.

In terms of competition, the Ogden stage features the athletes who are fighting for a spot at the World Cup Final in Istanbul on 24-25 September. The top seven individuals on the World Cup ranking after Stage 4 in Shanghai will qualify. Each top mixed team (recurve and compound) makes it as well. The Ogden World Cup also features the compound athletes who are competing for the top spot in the Longines Prize for Precision. Here below is a preview per category of the favourites to win in Ogden and those who may have a chance to emerge at the very top in this event.
  Recurve Men In this category, Brady ELLISON (USA) photo has a comfortable lead over his pursuers in the World Cup ranking, having won the first two stages in Porec and Antalya. While ELLISON can already book his ticket for Istanbul, the other archers need another good result to get there. It will be played among the 2008 Olympic champion Viktor RUBAN (UKR), 3rd in the ranking; Dmytro HRACHOV (UKR) and Laurence GODFREY (GBR), who are tied in 5th; the young Jake KAMINSKI (USA) and Gael PREVOST (FRA), respectively 8th and 10th, are also in the run. Good results could come from the double bronze medallist from Barcelona 1992 Simon TERRY (GBR), currently 13th. Other notables include Jayanta TALUKDAR (IND), Crispin DUENAS (CAN), Romain GIROUILLE (FRA), XING Yu (CHN), CHENG Chu Sian (MAS), Rick VAN DEN OEVER (NED) and the 2004 Olympic champion Marco GALIAZZO (ITA).  Recurve Women On the recurve women’s side, the race is wide open for the remaining spots to the World Cup Final. The favourites will be the new surprise world champion Denisse VAN LAMOEN (CHI) and the experienced two-time world champion Natalia VALEEVA (ITA). The other ones to watch are Deepika KUMARI (IND), Justyna MOSPINEK (POL), Berengere SCHUH (FRA), CHENG Ming and ZHU Shanshan (CHN), Sabrina STRUYF (BEL), Carina CHRISTIANSEN (DEN), Pia Carmen LIONETTI (ITA), Alison WILLIAMSON and Naomi FOLKARD (GBR), Mariana AVITIA (MEX).
  Compound Men Rodger WILLETT Jr. (USA) photo has a good lead in the compound men ranking, having won the first two stages of the World Cup this season. The world’s best archers will challenge him in this competition: the 2007 World Cup Final winner Jorge JIMENEZ (ESA), No. 2 in the World Cup ranking, as well as the No. 3 and winner in Antalya 2010 Martin DAMSBO (DEN); the No. 4 Amir KAZEMPOOR (IRI), who is seeking a first big victory; the bronze medallist from the recent Turin World CHampionships Reo WILDE (USA) is in 5th place, tied with the 2007 world champion Dietmar TRILLUS (CAN); in 8th is JIMENEZ’ compatriot Roberto HERNANDEZ (ESA); the multiple team world champion Braden GELLENTHIEN (USA) and the double winner of the World Cup Final (2009+ 2010) Sergio PAGNI (ITA) are tied in 10th place. The other contenders for a win in Ogden and for World Cup Final qualification include Peter ELZINGA (NED), Dominique GENET (FRA), Dejan SITAR (SLO). Finally, the new world champion from Turin Christopher PERKINS (CAN) will be looking to win a first medal in the World Cup.   Compound WomenParsmehr MAHTAB (IRI) photo, the winner of the last World Cup stage in Antalya, is leading the World Cup Ranking ahead of the two-time world champion (2009-2011) Albina LOGINOVA (RUS). The other favourites are Laura LONGO (ITA), currently 3rd; the bronze medallist from Turin Erika ANSCHUTZ (USA), 4th; Viktoria BALZHANOVA (RUS) and Ivana BUDEN, tied in 5th; The multiple team world champion Jamie VAN NATTA (USA) and the silver medallist from Turin Pascale LEBECQUE (FRA) are tied in 14th. The other ones to watch are Ivana BUDEN (CRO), Gladys WILLEMS (BEL), Linda OCHOA (MEX), Diane WATSON and Christie COLIN (USA), and Joanna CHESSE (FRA), Marcella TONIOLI (ITA).   Competition Format During the 2011 World Cup, individual recurve archers will shoot a FITA Round, or a 70-meter Round in Ogden and Shanghai, in qualifications and then matches of 5 sets of 3 arrows at 70 metres (Olympic Round).

Individual compound archers will shoot the new 50-meter Round in qualifications and then matches of 5 ends of 3 arrows with cumulative scoring at 50 metres (Compound Round).

Teams and Mixed Teams will shoot respectively 4 ends of 6 and 4 arrows with cumulative scoring. Recurve teams will keep playing at 70 metres and Compound ones at 50 metres.

The Longines Prize for Precision will be awarded this year to the two compound athletes (one man, one woman) who shoot the most 10s during the World Cup (except during the first two rounds of matches). Rodger WILLET Jr. and Albina LOGINOVA (RUS) are the currents leaders of the ranking.

Stay tuned on  www.worldarchery.org for our inside coverage of the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Ogden from 2-6 August!

World Archery Communication