26 June 2008 - Germany, Iran, Switzerland, Cyprus and Czech Republic win a women place for the Games!

Germany, Iran, Switzerland, Cyprus and Czech Republic win a Recurve Women place for the Games!
Boe - 26 June 2008
 
In Boé, during the Final Olympic Qualification Tournament for archery, five places (maximum one per country) were won to participate at the next Olympic Games in Beijing. The four semi-finalists and the best lose from the quarter-finals qualified.
Here are the live commentaries of selected matches for women.
Recurve Women
 1st round: JEPPSSON Jenny (SWE) - KOURULA Laura (FIN)
It seems wind causes some trouble for the archers as we barely saw high arrow values. In this match, the Swedish archer was ahead with 44-43, although she shot two 5s to open the match. The second end was not better, but she managed to keep her lead to clinch the match 91-82.
  1st round: LUIK Siret (EST) - HASAN Belmin (BUL)
Hasan's first arrow was a 4 which certainly caused her some trouble for the rest of the match. First end score: 49-44 for Luik. As expected, the Bulgarian could not recover from her first low end and began the second end with two 1s! Luik continues with 97-80.
  1st round: BULIGA Ecaterina (MDA) - SPALENKOVA Eva (CZE)
Low ends for both archers to open this Elimination Round with 44 pts for Buliga and 48 pts for Spalenkova. They shot much better second ends, especially the Czeck archer, as she scored 56 pts, giving no chance to her opponent. Final score: 104-95 for Buliga.
  2nd round: DIELEN Nathalie (SUI) - BULIGA Olga (MDA)
Both archers were tied at the first end with 51 pts (9-8-8-9-9-8 for Dielen and X10-8-10-7-8-8 for Buliga). With a 6 on the second end for Buliga, Dielen had every chance take the lead, which she did and finally won the match with a score of 104-99.
  2nd round: SARDUY Maidenia (CUB) - JONES Angela (BAR)
This match was also quite close, as the intermediary score was 48-46 in favour of the young Cuban. Sarduy hung on to her lead in the second end and with a 5 for Jones on her last arrow, she was confirmed to continue. Final score: 91-101.
 2nd round: JEPPSSON Jenny (SWE) - BERZINA Zane (LAT)
Although Berzina shot two 5s in the first end she took the lead by one point (47-46). Jeppsson was shooting much better in the second end, but she suddenly shot a 1 in the middle of her 9-8-9-9-9 against the Latvian's 8-10-8-7-4-9 and lost the match by 2 points! Berzina wins the match with a score of 93-91.

Jeppsson said that she was nervous and tired and that she missed the release scoring a 1. Unfortunately it happened in this particular match.
  2nd round: HAIDN TSCHALOVA Veronika (GER) - MELICHAROVA Kristina (SVK)
The German archer must have been afraid as Melicharova tied the match at 100 pts. The German's experienced worked out well as she scored a 10 in the shoot-off, while Melicharova could only manage a 9.

  3rd round: HITZLER Anja (GER) - SARBU Ludmila (ROU)
Sarbu began the match very well against the number 3 seed of the qualifications, as she was leading 55-53. Hitzler did not want to give up and although she shot a 6 in the second end, she overtook the Romanian to clinch the match 103-101.
  3rd round: HOUMAT Heidari (IRI) - URANTUNGALAG Bishindee (MGL)
It seems that after her victory against the legendary Natalia Valeeva, the Mongolian found a source of strength inside her. She was ahead in the first end with 48-45. She continued in the same vein to score 10-10-9-9-8-8, while her opponent shot 10-10-9-8-7-7. Urantungalag continues on the chart to the Quarterfinals with a final score of 102-96.
  3rd round: CABRERO Beatriz (ESP) - DIELEN Nathalie (SUI)
This was an exciting match with good arrows on the target. First end arrows for the Spaniard were 8-9-9-8-10-9 (53) and 9-9-8-10-9-9 (54) for the Swiss. The Spanish let herself down a bit as she shot a 7, giving the advantage to Dielen, who easily clinched the match with 109-103.
 3rd round: HAIDN TSCHALOVA Veronika (GER) - ABTIN Najmeh (IRI)
Haidn Tschalova may have thought the match was done at the conclusion of the first end, as she was leading 52-47. However, the German started the second end with a 2 and although she did her best to recover she could not achieve it, losing the match by one single point. Final score: 99-98 for Abtin.
  Quarter-final: HITZLER Anja (GER) - SARDUY Maidenia (CUB)
This time Hitzler did not hesitate for a minute, as she led the match from the first end to the last, not giving the Cuban a chance to get into the match. The ends scores were: 29-26, 54-50, 83-77 et 110-102.

Hitzler gets her place for the Olympics! And the Cuban will have a shoot-off against Subramaniam (MAS) to decide on who gets the first stand-by place in the list.

Congratulations to Anja!
  Quarter-final: MOUSIKOU Elena (CYP) - URUNTUNGALAG Bishindee (MGL)
The first end was tied at 25 pts. Mousikou took then the lead as she shot 10-9-8 against Uruntungalag's 8-7-8 (52-48). The Mongolian shot a better third end than her opponent, but it was not enough to take over the lead (77-75). She could actually never recover and had no other choice than to leave the Olympic place to her Cypriot opponent, loosing 98-102.

Congratulations to Elena!
  Quarter-final: DIELEN Nathalie (SUI) - HORACKOVA Barbora (CZE)
What a dramatic match! Both archers fought hard for this Olympic spot! The Swiss started with a two-point advantage (27-25). The Czech did her best to overtake in the second end to lead by 1 point with 52-51. In the third end, both archers shot the same score (8-8-X10 for Dielen and 8-10-8 for Horackova) so that the Czech maintained her lead by 1 pt (78-77), but it was Dielen's hunger for the Olympics that prevailed and made her shoot the better last end with 28 pts against 26 for Horackova, so Dielen wins the match with 105-104!

At the end, Nathalie got her place in the Olympics as she won this Quarterfinal match, but... Horackova as well! She did this by having the higher match score of the Quarterfinals losers.

Congratulations to both!
  Quarter-final: ABTIN Najmeh (IRI) - SUBRAMANIAM Anbarasi (MAS)
The Malaysian was ahead by one point from the first to the third end, with 28-27, 54-53 and 78-77. The fourth end changed it all as the Malaysian shot 9-9-6, giving a chance to the Iranian to come back as she shot 8-8 and a 10 to close the match. The Iranian won by 1 pt! Final score: 103-102.

Najmeh got her place for the Olympics! Congratulations!

Anbarasi will have a shoot-off against Sarduy (CUB) to decide on who gets the first stand-by place in the list.

 Semi-final: DIELEN Nathalie (SUI) - ABTIN Najmeh (IRI)
After Dielen's confirmation on her Olympic spot, she relaxed a lot and just went on shooting the semi-final without pressure. The Iranian led throughout the match with the following scores : 27-25, 56-51, 81-77 and 104-103.

Abtin will shoot for Gold and Dielen for Bronze.
  Semi-final: HITZLER Anja (GER) - MOUSIKOU Elena (CYP)
The German started off the match with a good advantage (27-21). In the second end she shot a 6 that allowed her opponent to tie the match (49-49). Hitzler recovered easily in the third end to finally clinch the match 102-97.
  Bronze Final: DIELEN Nathalie (SUI) - MOUSIKOU Elena (CYP)
The Swiss archer led the match until the third end, where the Cypriot tied the match at 77 pts, but Dielen was stronger in the last end to finally clinch the match with a final score of 106-102.
  Gold Final - ABTIN Majmeh (IRI) - HITZLER Anja (GER)
Hitzler did not show nerves for a second and led the whole match. The ends scores were: 28-25, 55-53, 81-76 and finally 106-102.
  Shoot-off stand-by place: SARDUY Maidenia (CUB) - SUBRAMANIAM Anbarasi (MAS)
This shoot-off was to decide on who is first and second on the stand-by list for the Olympic spots.

The shoot-off was won by Subramaniam with an 8. Sarduy shot a 7. Malaysia goes first on the stand-by list. 
  
Chantal Steiner
FITA Communication

NB: X10 and 10 are both 10 points. X10 were mentionned for information whenever possible. The arrows are mentioned in order whenever possible.