Italy, Netherlands recurve men miss out on Baku 2015 team quota places

This Echmiadzin continental championship is the primary qualification tournament for the first European Games, due to be held in Baku in 2015.

The eight recurve teams that won their first-round matches in the men’s and women’s competitions qualified full team quotas. Joined by the host nation, Azerbaijan, and the four top-finishers at next year’s Olympia Grand Prix, they make up the majority of the two 13-team rosters at the Games.

Olympia will be vital for some of Europe’s top archery nations: both Italy, number one seeds in Armenia, and the reigning European Champion Netherlands lost their first round matches – and so missed out on primary Baku qualification.

The Italians started their match well, but couldn’t finish it – letting Norway claw back to a 4-all draw after regulation sets. In the shoot-off, they were beaten by a point.

Meanwhile, Rick VAN DER VEN’s Dutch squad had no answer for a German team that dropped seven points over 18 arrows. The impressive 57-58-58 set series shut out the Netherlands trio – who qualified poorly – 0-6.

Great Britain and Poland also lost their first-round matches, while Belarus, Slovenia, Russia, Spain, France and Ukraine secured men’s team quota spots for Baku. However, Ukraine’s women were beaten in the first round by Georgia. They have underwhelmed since winning the indoor world title at Nimes 2014.

Germany, Italy, Russia, France, Belarus, Denmark and Poland also picked up full recurve women’s team quota places.

In Armenia, Germany will feature in both recurve team finals after securing four top-eight individual seeds yesterday (one man, all three women). It is yet another sign of competitive resurgence from a team that has medalled at each Archery World Cup stage so far this season.

The 2014 European Archery Championships are taking place in Echmiadzin, Armenia this week. Follow live results.