Three world titles combined: HEIGENHAUSER and LOGINOVA

Kristina HEIGENHAUSER won the Belek 2013 World Archery Championships but you would be forgiven for not recognising the name. 

Back then, she had a different one. 

“It’s got longer,” she the former Miss BERGER, who is now married. “And I’m looking forward to hearing it on the field.” 

Confident, Germany’s first and only winner at a World Archery Championships admitted she felt she had to take a break after the title. In the meantime, she’s been doing something a little different – breeding farm animals! 

“But now, the fun is back,” a firm HEIGENHAUSER said. 

The fun and, by all accounts, the determination to win again. Kristina is shooting with a German compound women’s team in Antalya – her teammates Janine MEISSNER and Velia SCHALL – to prepare for Copenhagen in the summer. 

At the same event, she’ll defend her individual world title. 

“Try to,” she added, laughing. “Everybody has chances and with the finals, everything is possible. I’ll just try to shoot the best I can. But I believe I can do it again.” 

The situation is a little different this time around. 

At her first worlds in 2013, which was held just down the road from the Antalya stage of the World Cup, Kristina was just a year and half into her archery career and – despite some impressive results – still considered an unlikely winner. 

“I prefer to sneak up from behind, rather than be in front and watching the others sneak up!” 

With hindsight the 26-year-old German archer has to be a returning favourite, and an athlete with one of the best records on the Archery World Cup circuit going. 

Over 2012 and 2013 she shot five stages and two World Cup Finals. Both finals ended in first-round losses, but the stages yielded four individual medals – three bronzes and silver – and a number of team and individual team podiums. 

Kristina has, in fact, never left the Antalya area (including Belek) without silverware. 

She will face stiff competition for that streak to continue, not least from the woman she inherited the world title from, Russia’s Albina LOGINOVA, who did not attend the first stage of the season in Shanghai. 

“I had an event just before Shanghai and I really did not shoot very well,” revealed Albina. “I had some trouble and I couldn’t walk normally. I did not go to Shanghai because of my performance there.” 

Troubles done with and after stepping straight from the plane to the practice field, she looked on form during Antalya official practice. 

“I’m shooting great now.” 

Focused on getting a good, if delayed, start to her 2015 Archery World Cup campaign, LOGINOVA also remembers her experience at the worlds in Belek where she relinquished the world title she had held for four years. 

“It was so windy. At some points it became a bit of a lottery because of the weather and there were so many surprises in all the divisions,” she said while explaining why she felt her performance did not live up to expectations. 

“I have shot four world championships: I had second place at the first, I won the next two and in the last I got mixed team silver.” 

Clearly not the coming-from-behind type, then, is LOGINOVA: “I want my title back.” 

Two world champions with three world titles between them on the competition field in Antalya – and the last chance to test themselves for another worlds clash in Copenhagen.

Read more about Antalya 2015.

 

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