Archers of the world met again in Las Vegas

Archers of the world met again in Las Vegas Lausanne – 9 February 2009   With around 1,300 archers and 30 categories, the World Archery Festival in Las Vegas last weekend was once again a major competition in the indoor season. Some were there for fun while some were battling for about 150,000 USD in prize money and some familiar faces emerged as the winners!   The Compound Men was once again the strongest category in this tournament and eighteen archers got a perfect 900 score after three days of competitions. It is to be noted that the tournament uses FITA target face but counts the full 10-circle as ten points at this stage of the competition.   These eighteen men had to go to an overall shoot-off. They would shoot three arrows per extra end. In the first end, all the archers were again perfect with the full 10-circle. In the second end, two archers scored 29 and were therefore eliminated. For the third end, the rules would now count only the X10 as 10 points (like the usual FITA rules). Only six archers could keep a perfect score this time and casualties included Martin DAMSBO (DEN). In the fourth round of the shoot-off, three archers were eliminated, the Americans Kelsey JOHNSON, Jesse BROADWATER and Dave COUSINS. Then the fans had to wait two more rounds to discover the bronze medallist, Chance BEAUBOUEF (USA). The two ultimate archers then gave a show equal to their magnificent careers. Reo WILDE (USA) and Morgan LUNDIN (SWE)—both several times world champions—did not let anything go for many ends. Finally, after a shoot-off of twelve ends (!), WILDE won it over LUNDIN with 357 points versus 356!   In Compound Women, another familiar face took it again. After her victory in Vegas in 2008 and her overall 2nd place in the 2008 World Cup, Nichola SIMPSON (GBR) achieved an almost perfect score of 899 points. The rest of the podium had to be settled during a shoot-off as the American Tiffany REEVES tied with her fellow countrywoman Mary HAMM at 898 points. REEVES had the best hand in the shoot-off this time (90 to 89), but will HAMM—the first woman to break the 1400-point barrier—come back to the world highest level this season? Other notables included Camilla SOEMOD (DEN), 6th, 2008 World Cup winner Jamie VAN NATTA (USA), 8th, Gladys WILLEMS (BEL), 11th and current world champion Eugenia SALVI (ITA), 15th.   It was an all-American affair in the Recurve Men’s category with Brady ELLISON (USA) taking first place with 886 points ahead of two other Americans, the veteran Olympian Richard JOHNSON, 879 pts, and Joe MC GLYN, 877 pts. The rest of the world was not too far with Jay LYON (CAN) at 4th place, Juan Rene SERRANO (MEX), 5th, and Crispin DUENAS (CAN), 6th. The other member of the 2008 American Olympic team Vic WUNDERLE finished 7th.   In Recurve Women, four 2008 Olympians ranked in the top 5. Jennifer NICHOLS (USA) won the event with 858 points, ahead of her team-mate Khatuna LORIG (USA) and Roman AIDA (MEX) with 855 points. LORIG beat AIDA in the shoot-off. Then, Kari Jill GRANVILLE (USA) at 4th place was slightly better than Mariana AVITIA (MEX).

All infos: www.nfaa-archery.org/tournaments/vegas/

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  Didier Miéville FITA Communication