31 May 2012 - Athlete of the Week: Rick VAN DER VEN (NED)

Athlete of the Week: Rick VAN DER VEN (NED) Lausanne – 31 May 2012 Rick VAN DER VEN at Amsterdam 2012 European Championships    The 21-year-old Dutch recurve archer Rick VAN DE VEN was the star of the European Championships in Amsterdam last week with two gold medals. Will he be able to lead his team to Olympic qualification in June in Ogden?   Rick VAN DEN VEN broke through the international scene in 2009 when he became the runner-up at the World Junior Championships in Ogden, USA. He has gained international experience by competing on the World Cup circuit since 2010 and in several major tournaments like the world and European championships.   Last week, VAN DER VEN won his first major international medals at the European Championships in Amsterdam. He led his teammates Sjef VAN DEN BERG and Rick VAN DEN OEVER to the gold medal in the men’s team competition. Seeded No. 2, the Dutch archers defeated Ukraine in semifinals, 219-214, and Italy in the final, 215-212.      Rick VAN DER VEN, Sjef VAN DEN BERG and Rick VAN DEN OEVERIndividually, VAN DER VEN, who had ranked 4th after qualifications, had a bye going into the 1/16 elimination round. He had easy victories against Elias CUESTA (ESP), Aki VIRTANEN (FIN) and Johan WEISS (DEN). In semifinals he faced the runner-up of the recent Antalya World Cup Markiyan IVASHKO (UKR), and beat him easily 7-1. In the final, he defeated the 17-year-old Slovenian Klemen STRAJHAR in straight sets, 6-0, for a well-deserved second gold medal.   The Dutch team has won only one individual Olympic quota so far and is now preparing to compete at the Final World Team Qualification Tournament that will be held in conjunction with the Ogden World Cup in June. This tournament is open to the countries that did not qualify a full team through the World Archery Championships. The Dutch trio will need to finish among the three best ranked teams in order to obtain three quota berths for the London Olympic Games.   Biography Extract:   Rick VAN DER VEN (NED) – Born on 14 April 1991   1st Team European Championships Amsterdam 2012 1st Individual European Championships Amsterdam 2012 5th Individual Indoor World Championships Las Vegas 2012 3rd  Team Junior World Championships Legnica 2011 2nd Mixed Team Junior World Championships Legnica 2011 4th Individual Junior World Championships Legnica 2011 9th Team European Championships Rovereto 2010 9th Individual European Championships Rovereto 2010 2nd Individual Junior World Championships Ogden 2009   Find more information on Rick VAN DER VEN (and all other archers) at the World Archery website.   World Archery Communication