Building tradition: winning as a team!

Let’s have a look at FITA statistics compiled by Sergio FONT to define who has dominated team competitions at world archery main events since 2004. This included 20 competitions for recurve and 18 for compound. The full reports with all the medallists of the last five years are available in pdf links below. A look at all the medallists since Jakarta 1995—when compound was introduced in the world championships—is also interesting.
  Medals Tables in major Archery Events since Athens 2004 Recurve Men - Team  

Rank Team Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 KOR 9   1 10 2 ITA 3 3 3 9 3 IND 3 2 1 6 4 TPE 2 1 2 5 5 GBR 1 3 2 6 6 RUS 1 1 2 4 7 JPN 1     1 8 MAS   2 1 3 9 AUS   2   2 10 MEX   1 1 2 10 FRA   1 1 2 10 CHN   1 1 2

 

Team Korea at World Championships Leipzig 2007 No surprise that Korea is on top of the list and almost invincible. In fact, Korea has won seven team titles since 1995. They were only beaten by Italy in Riom 1999. The Italians are, therefore, a logical 2nd in the list, considering as well that they came very close to defeat Korea in the team final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. In Ulsan, Italy will field the same team as in Beijing (GALIAZZO, Di BUO and NESPOLI), while the Koreans return two team members with IM and LEE. Last but not least, the Koreans set the 12-arrow match world record at 231 points at the last world championships (Leipzig 2007).   India has been the raising nations since the beginning of the millennium. They have benn shooting really strongly and field pretty much the same team for the last two years. TALUKDAR, BANERJEE and CHAMPIA will have only one thing in sight: the final, maybe more.   Chinese Taipei has been a threat for many years. They earned silver at the Athens 2004 Games and bronze at the World Championships Leipzig 2007. They return two members from Leipzig: KUO and WANG.   Great Britain has had the same team since 2007 with GODFREY, TERRY and WILLS. They won silver in Leipzig but they totally missed their objectives at the Olympic Games. Which face of the team will we see in Ulsan?   Down the list, it remains to be seen if the heroic YAMAMOTO will carry Japan to top height again, but surely Russia, Malaysia, Australia, Mexico, France and China have a shot at a medal. The young French team totally missed the world championships in 2007, but their young and talented archers have improved a lot since then. They reached the final at the last World Cup stage in Shanghai.   The USA dominated this category from 1959 to 1983 when they won 12 titles in a row! They have now a long shot at a medal, together with Ukraine and Poland.   Medals Tables in major Archery Events since Athens 2004 Recurve Women - Team

Rank Team Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 KOR 12   2 14 2 CHN 3 4 4 11 3 GBR 3   4 7 4 ITA 1 5 1 7 5 TUR 1   1 2 6 POL   4   4 7 RUS   3 1 4 8 TPE   2 1 3 9 UKR   1 2 3 10 FRA   1 1 2

 

Team Korea at World Championships Leipzig 2007 The Korean ladies have won five world titles out of eight since 1995. Moreover, they have won every (six) team Olympic titles since that competition joined the Olympic Games in 1988. They are almost unbeatable. They have a completely new team compared to 2007, but they return two of their 2008 Olympic champion, YUN and JOO.   China beat Korea “at home” at the World Championships Beijing 2001. They won silver at the last two Olympic Games and they are logically 2nd on the list above. Although, they have a completely new team, they will be medal contenders.   Great Britain has won three gold medals at the World Cup stages and bronze at the last world championships. It is the same team since then—WILLIAMSON, FOLKARD and BURGESS—and with their experience they will catch every opportunity to jump on the podium.   Italy won the title at the World Championships Riom 1999 (just like the men). VALEEVA was already there, and the individual world champion is a true leader for her two young and talented teammates, TONETTA and LIONETTI. They are always a threat in the World Cup stages and they wish to make it happen at the world championships, too.   The young team of Russia has shot really well this year. They are also medal contenders and to some extend Poland, Ukraine, as well as and Chinese Taipei who won silver in Leipzig.   Turkey, India, Georgia and the USA have a longer shot at the podium.   Medals Tables in major Archery Events since Athens 2004 Compound Men - Team

Rank Team Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 USA 8 1 1 10 2 FRA 2 1 2 5 3 NED 2 1 1 4 4 ITA 2 1   3 5 SWE 1 2 1 4 6 DEN 1 1 1 3 6 MEX 1 1 1 3 7 IRI 1   1 2 9 GBR   3 2 5 10 AUS   3 1 4

 

Team USA at World Championships Leipzig 2007    The USA has won four of the seven team titles since 1995. They have won the last three, and COUSINS, GELLETHIEN and WILDE have taken an active part to this. Individually, everything can happen, but in team, they will be very tough to beat.   France won the first title in Jakarta and is always a threat for gold. They returned two archers from the Leipzig team with BRASSEUR and GENET.   The Netherlands hold the team world record with 238 points out of 240! They won the World Cup stage in Antalya this year and are also a favourite for gold.   Italy is a solid team anchored by PAGNI. They have won their gold medals in the World Cup stages.   With a silver and bronze at the last two world championships, Australia is a strong medal contenders led by COGHLAN.   The other main contenders are Denmark, Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand. Korea is the big question mark in this category.   Medals Tables in major Archery Events since Athens 2004 Compound Women - Team

Rank Team Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 RUS 7 2 1 10 2 FRA 4 1 2 7 3 USA 2 3 4 9 4 MEX 1 2 2 5 5 GBR 1 2 1 4 6 VEN 1   1 2 6 BEL 1   1 2 8 NZL 1     1 9 GER   2   2 9 GRE   2   2

 

Team Belgium at World Championships Leipzig 2007    This category is quite opened. Since 1995, the USA has won two titles (1995 and 2003), so did France (2001 and 2005). Italy, Chinese Taipei and a surprising Belgium team in 2007 earned the other gold medals.   Belgium returns two of their world champions, WILLEMS and DESSOY. They will of course defend their title.   Russia has nevertheless dominated the World Cup stages (earning their 10 podiums on the circuit), but they missed out on a world medal in 2007. Moreover, the team in Ulsan may be quite younger than before.   The USA will count on two young teammates ANSCHUTZ and NICELY, but actually these two were already at the World Championships Leipzig 2007, where they won bronze! Since then, NICELY has piled up a huge collection of medals at the youth level. Will she make it in the big game?   France has counted on the experience of FABRE and some solid teammates to pile up seven medals since 2004. However, in Ulsan they will miss BOUILLOT who anchored the team in the last two years.   Mexico can count on the OCHOA’s sisters. Great Britain and Italy have both a combination of eagerness and experience with respectively HUNT-SIMPSON and ANASTASIO-SALVI. Venezuela has shown two world class archers in the 2009 World Cup season, GUEDEZ and BOSCH. The possible success of these teams relies on the third teammate. Will they rise to the occasion?   The other contenders are New Zealand—who won the Antalya stage this season—the Netherlands, Greece, Australia, and of course Korea at home.   Winning as a team both demands and creates dynamism. It needs good team chemistry on the field. A victory also gives momentum to the whole country. The young archers back home will be motivated to walk on the footsteps of their glorious winners. It builds tradition!   Medals Tables in major World Archery events since Athens 2004

Recurve Men - Individual Recurve Men - Team Recurve Women - Individual Recurve Women - Team Compound Men - Individual Compound Men - Team Compound Women - Individual Compound Women - Team

 

  Didier MIEVILLE FITA Communication