Brady shoots 395 points; wins qualifying by 30

Brady Ellison scored 395 out of a possible 432 points on the 24-target qualification course at the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw, Poland, leading the recurve men’s field by 30 points over Italy’s Amedeo Tonelli. 

Both men guaranteed themselves a place in the semifinals.

“I’m happy with it, I’m happy being ranked first. I wanted to be ranked top two to get into the finals,” said Brady. Under the new rules, the top two seeds after the 12 unmarked, 12 marked targets enter the final four matches, while the rest of the field shoots up to decide who joins them.

“It’s a relief. I went out there and did my job today, so tomorrow I get to go out there and shoot a match as a warm-up thing. It means something to be able to pick your pool but it’s not, not on the chopping block so to say.”

Brady scored 196 points for the 12 unmarked targets in the morning, coming in for the break annoyed with his distance judging. He shot 199 for the 12 marked targets in the afternoon, which started late after a flash storm hit the competition venue.

“Really the last six targets I drew back and I was sighted in. Happy with that, I made the adjustment quick enough. I shot good,” he said.

“This was a 400 course and I definitely left seven, 10 points out there today. Oh well, 395 is still not bad.”

Although records are not kept for field archery due to the differing nature of courses and the new World Games format is unlike that of world championships and other events, it’s likely Ellison’s round was one of the – if not the – highest recurve field score ever shot.

Defending World Games Champion Jean-Charles Valladont did not have a good afternoon.

Ranked fourth after the unmarked targets in the morning, he shot the joint-lowest score of the 12-man field in the afternoon and fell to ninth at the end of the 24 targets.

“I started very badly this afternoon. No yellow on two targets. Maybe I’m physically not strong this afternoon, maybe what I ate, maybe the rest, I didn’t feel good in my shooting. It wasn’t regular,” he explained.

“Four years ago, there was an eliminations cut. Now there is no cut. So after a few targets this afternoon, when it was impossible for me to come first or second, I started shooting for training.” 

“Tomorrow I will reset and start the matches.”

The recurve field archery competition at the World Games continues with the first shoot-up event. The athletes have been split into two pools according to ranking; the lowest two seeds shoot against each other and the winner stays on, shooting against the next lowest seed – until only one remains.

Each pool winner qualifies for the semifinals, joining Ellison and Tonelli and completing the final four in Wroclaw.

The archery competitions at the 2017 World Games run 23-30 July in Wroclaw, Poland.