Poland, new World Cup stage

The Polish city with the fourth-highest population - nicknamed Northern Venice due to its large number of canals and islands which are spanned by more than 120 bridges, Wroclaw is bathed by the River Oder and its four affluent rivers. The city was part, at different moments in history, of the Kingdom of Poland, Bohemia, the Austrian Empire, Prussia and Germany. Wroclaw will be the European Capital of Culture 2016 and will host the World Games 2017. 
The Archery World Cup arrives to a city full of history that houses important monuments such as the Town Hall, the Gothic Cathedral from 14th century, the University founded in 1702, and the Centennial Hall. It is by the foot of this remarkable construction, located on the Exhibitions Grounds (photo), that the Wroclaw World Cup Finals will be held on 24-25 August. Beforehand, archers will have to shoot their way through qualifications and preliminary elimination rounds at the University sports fields from 19-23 August. 
The 7 best archers per category who will qualify for the Paris Finals will be determined after this fourth and final determining World Cup stage, in addition to the French archer who automatically qualifies as part of the host country. A maximum of two athletes per country and per category qualify. What is the current situation in the different rankings, and which athletes will travel to Poland without pressure?
Recurve womenYUN OK-Hee (KOR), winner in Shanghai, and CUI Yuanyuan (CHN), winner in Antalya, are already qualified for the Finals. Russian Inna STEPANOVA (photo), winner of the Medellin World Cup, holds a solid position, as does Deepika KUMARI (IND) and JOO Hyun-Jung (KOR). Ana-María RENDON (COL), and Miranda LEEK (US) - who scored her first points of the season in Colombia - figure as serious contenders to take one of the privileged qualifying places at the expense of experienced athletes such as Aida ROMAN (MEX) and KI Bo Bae (KOR). The 2012 Korean World Cup champion will have to outperform teammate JOO if she hopes to qualify. Anastasia PAVLOVA (UKR) started the 2013 season with a very good performance in Shanghai but hasn’t scored any points to her credit since, especially due to the Ukrainian team’s absence from Medellin. Italian archers Natalia VALEEVA and Jessica TOMASI, who managed a great Colombian fortnight with her 6th rank in Medellin and her bronze medal at the Cali World Games, also maintain qualification hopes.
In the teams, victories have been much divided this season: Chinese Taipei, Korea and India each won one of the stages. The United States will do their best to be the fourth nation climbing the podium’s highest step after their silver medals in Shanghai and Antalya, and the bronze medal in Medellin. Fans should keep an eye on the Russians and Polish athletes. At home, they are a clear outsider, mostly after the Echmiadzin European Grand Prix victory in May; there the team was composed by Natalia LESNIAK, Wioleta MYSZOR and Malgorzata SOBIERAJ.

Recurve men
As with the women, two male athletes have secured their spots at the Trocadero Fountains: Korean monster OH Jin Hyek and Mauro NESPOLI (ITA). Absent in Medellin but winner in Shanghai and Antalya, OH is the biggest favourite, in Wroclaw and in Paris as well, thanks to his very impressive performances at the first two World Cup stages this season. The competition remains nevertheless very open, since a victory is synonymous with qualification with the consequent changes in the ranking. Brady ELLISON (USA), silver medallist at the Cali World Games field archery event, clearly figures amongst the qualification favourites. The last winner in Colombia, DAI Xiaoxiang (CHN), will not be attending the Poland meeting due to the Chinese team’s absence, which destroys his qualification chances for Paris. However, his teammate ZHANG Jianping earned bronze medals at both the Antalya and Medellin events and should be seen in Paris. Jeff HENCKELS (LUX) had a very good performance at the previous stage with his silver medal and is clearly positioned as an outsider. The Cali World Games field archery gold medallist Jean-Charles VALLADONT (FRA), currently 13th in the World Cup ranking, will certainly arrive in Poland with a lot of confidence, thanks also to his good performance in Medellin where he finished 4th. Juan-René SERRANO (MEX), Koreans LEE Seungyun and JIN Jae Wang, Shungo TABATA (JPN), Gaël PREVOST (FRA), Viktor RUBAN (UKR) and Crispin DUENAS (CAN) are also expected to post outstanding performances, clearly making this anyone’s game.

In the team competition, it is hard to imagine who could prevent the Koreans from winning their third victory of the season after their absence in Medellin. Can Mexico, the historic winners in Colombia, USA or France demonstrate enough strength to interrupt Korea’s romance with the top spot on the podium? Italy, Japan, Spain, Great Britain, Turkey and Ukraine have also demonstrated some potential this year and are aiming for a shot at the podium.
Compound womenParis is already expecting athlete of the moment Erika JONES (USA), SEOK Ji Hyun (KOR) – who was the winner in Shanghai - and Sara LOPEZ (COL), winner in Antalya. LOPEZ’s teammate Alejandra USQUIANO was the recent winner at home, in Medellin, and arises as a serious contender for the French rendezvous, as does Albina LOGINOVA (RUS), YOUN So Jung (KOR) and Pascale LEBECQUE, best-positioned French athlete in the quest for securing a spot by the Eiffel Tower. Medellin bronze medallist Ana MENDOZA (VEN), Kristina BERGER (GER), Linda OCHOA (MEX) and Carli COCHRAN (USA) will have to manage a very good week and get a high number of points that would allow them to shoot their way into one of the last qualifying spots. Italian mixed team expert Marcella TONIOLI and Dutch Inge VAN CASPEL also present a threat to the top seven.
In the teams, Americans and Colombians got their pieces of the pie in the last two stages and seem well-established teams for enjoying a renewed success unless Koreans, winner in Shanghai, confront them.
Compound menAmericans Braden GELLENTHIEN (winner in Shanghai) and Reo WILDE (winner in Medellin and at the World Games), as well as Dan Martin DAMSBO, followed the example of their female colleagues and are already qualified for the Finals. The other winner of the season in Antalya, Patrick LAURSEN (DEN), Indian Rajat CHAUHAN (photo), MIN Lihong (KOR), Georg DOLLINGER (AUT) and Morten BOE (NOR) are also willing to secure their qualification. The struggle among these athletes promises to be harsh, with several contenders capable of clinching a spot in the Finals; especially the Medellin winners from France: Dominique GENET, Christophe DOUSSOT and Pierre-Julien DELOCHE who will enter into a friendly battle for obtaining the French qualifying place. Sergio PAGNI (ITA), the other mixed team expert, and Peter ELZINGA (NED) are also attending with high hopes. 
As for the teams, France will certainly concentrate on their individual encounters and it will be hard for them to repeat their victory in Medellin, which would be a godsend for Americans, already silver medallists in Turkey and in Colombia, and winners in China. Danish and Italian teams are also expected to make a run at the medal matches.
Mixed teamsFrance will have the honour of challenging opponents in both of the categories, at the Finals, at home. If the die has been cast in the compound bow - Italy’s Marcella TONIOLI and Sergio PAGNI secured their qualifications thanks to their gold medals in Antalya and Medellin, and the bronze medal in Shanghai - there are still five opponents battling it out for the finalist spot in the recurve bow: China, the United States, Mexico, India and Korea. China has the best chances to lose the place of ranking leader because of its absence in Poland; the fight will be fierce among the four remaining nations.
Find complete results of the Medellin third stage, all the information about the upcoming stage in Wroclaw, as well as the current World Cup rankings. Also follow the event on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
World Archery Communication