23 May 2012 - Athlete of the Week: Natalya ERDYNIYEVA (RUS)

Athlete of the Week: Natalya ERDYNIYEVA (RUS) Lausanne – 23 May 2012 ERDYNIYEVA (right) with Inna STEPANOVA and Anna BOMBOEVA    The Russian recurve archer Natalya ERDNYNIYEVA is the defending individual and team European champion from 2010. Will she be able to take the first individual spot again this week in Amsterdam and, who knows, at the London Olympic Games?   Natalya ERDYNIYEVA rose to fame in the year 2007. At age 19, the archer from Ulan-Ude (Buryatia, Russia) won a stage of the World Cup in Antalya and placed second in Varese. She won the individual bronze medal in Leipzig for her first participation in a world championships – she could hardly believe what she had accomplished and was in tears after her last match. The Russian archer placed third again at the World Cup Final the same year in Dubai. These achievements allowed her to reach the No. 1 spot of the World Ranking in the summer of 2007.   Despite her young age, Natalya ERDYNIYEVA quickly became the leader of a renewed and very young Russian recurve women’s team. She led her team to several medals and places of honour, but had mixed results at the individual level. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, she was one of the non-Korean favourites, but lacked experience and placed "only" 14th individually.   In 2010, Natalya ERDYNIYEVA won the two titles at stake at the European Championships in Rovereto, Italy (team and individual). Will she be able to take the first individual spot again this year in Amsterdam, and who knows, in London?      At World Cup Final 2012 in DubaiBiography Extract:   Natalya ERDYNIYEVA (RUS) – Born on 6 August 1988   4th Team World Indoor Championships Las Vegas 2012 2nd Team World Cup Porec 2011 1st Individual European Championships Rovereto 2010 1st Team European Championships Rovereto 2010 3rd Team World Championships Ulsan 2009 2nd Team World Cup Shanghai 2009 2nd Team World Cup Antalya 2009 3rd Team Indoor World Championships Rzeszow 2009 14th Individual Olympic Games Beijing 2008 3rd Team European Championships Vittel 2008 2nd Individual World Cup Santo Domingo 2008 3rd Individual World Cup Final Dubai 2007 3rd Individual World Championships Leipzig 2007 1st Individual World Cup Antalya 2007 2nd Individual World Cup Varese 2007   More information on Natalya ERDYNIYEVA and all other archers at the World Archery website.   World Archery Communication