13 September 2011 - Athlete of the Week: Inna STEPANOVA (RUS)

Athlete of the Week: Inna STEPANOVA (RUS) Lausanne – 13 September 2011  The young recurve athlete Inna STEPANOVA (RUS), 21 years old, has just won her first World Cup. Thanks to her victory in Shanghai last weekend, the Russian has at the same time qualified for the World Cup Final in Istanbul on 24-25 September. She is at the dawn of a promising career!   Inna STEPANOVA is currently ranked 4th in the world. In 2010, she became European team champion and finished 2nd individually at the European Championships and at World Cup Stage 2. The year 2011 has marked her first important individual victories in major events: the Asian Grand Prix in Bangkok and the World Cup in Shanghai.   Seeded No. 17 after qualification at the Shanghai World Cup, the Russian had an important match with her sight on a possible qualification to the Final in Istanbul when she faced in 1/8 elimination the No. 1 Natalia VALEEVA (ITA), former Olympic medallist and several times world champion. The experienced Italian led 4-0 after the second set in this important match. However, STEPANOVA won the last three sets for a come-back victory, 0-4 to 6-4!   After two easy wins 6-2 over Alejandra VALENCIA (MEX/6) in quarterfinal and Erwina SAFITRI (INA/29) in semifinal, STEPANOVA then shot for gold against another experienced archer, Berengere SCHUH (FRA/3). STEPANOVA and SCHUH had met twice before the final in Shanghai, with the advantage being to the Russian who won two times. Her opponent from France had also already booked herself a place in the Istanbul Grand Final after she qualified for the gold final in Shanghai.   STEPANOVA let the first set slip when she started the match with a 6, but she came back strongly in the second with 9-10-9 to tie the match at 2-2. The wind was not strong but changing a lot, therefore giving some difficulties to the athletes. The Russian shot 9-8-8, but the Frenchwoman could not do better with 9-7-9, for a tied set and 3-3 in the match. STEPANOVA came back to the yellow in the fourth set with 9-10-9. SCHUH shot 8-9-10 and trailed 3-5. SCHUH started the fifth set with an 8 and followed with 9 and 10. STEPANOVA made the opposite with 10-9-8! A tied set was enough for STEPANOVA to clinch her first World Cup victory, 6-4!   The two ladies will be in Istanbul at the end of September for the World Cup Final. But will they meet again for revenge? Time will tell…  Biography Extract:   Inna STEPANOVA (RUS) – Born 17 April 1990   1st Individual World Cup Stage Shanghai 2011 9th Individual Summer Universiade Shenzhen 2011 3rd Individual European Grand Prix Antalya 2011 1st Team European Grand Prix Antalya 2011 2nd Mixed Team European Grand Prix Antalya 2011 1st Individual Asian Grand Prix Bangkok 2011 3rd Team Asian Grand Prix Bangkok 2011 1st Mixed Team Asian Grand Prix Bangkok 2011 1st Team European Grand Prix Moscow 2010 2nd Individual World Cup Stage Antalya 2010 2nd Team World Cup Stage Antalya 2010 2nd Individual European Championships Rovereto 2010 1st Team European Championships Rovereto 2010 2nd Team World Cup Stage Antalya 2009 3rd Individual World Youth Championships 2008 3rd Individual World University Championships Tainan 2008   Find more information on Inna STEPANOVA (and all other archers) at the World Archery website as well as on her Facebook page.   World Archery Communication