11 June 2007 - Korea, Russia, El Salvador and France on top of the World Ranking

Korea, Russia, El Salvador and France on top of the World Ranking Lausanne - 11 June 2007   Korea (Individual and Team Recurve Men and Women), Russia (Individual and Team Compound Women), El Salvador (Individual Compound Men) and France (Team Compound Men) lead the new World Ranking lists published by FITA.  France (Team Compound Men)    The new lists were put out on 4 June 2007 after the successful World Cup held in Antalya. Calculation of the new lists included the following changes:   Ø      Two World Ranking Events held in 2005 were excluded from the calculation because their two-year period has expired: the 19th Mexican Olympic Festival and the 2nd Asian Grand Prix held in Korea. Ø      The period factor of the 1st European Grand Prix and World Cup Event held in Porec, Croatia in May 2006 is now only 0.5, which means that the ranking scores for all archers in the top 32 positions have been reduced to 50%. Ø      Two new World Ranking Events were included: the 5th Australian Grand Prix, recently held in Perth, Western Australia, and the 20th Golden Arrow and Meteksan Archery World Cup held in Antalya, Turkey from 26 May to 2 June.   These exclusions, modifications and additions have produced movement in the ranking. Here follows a quick summary of the eight categories:   Individual Compound Women Russians Sofia Goncharova and Anna Kazantseva remain on top. Kazantseva’s victory in Antalya would have moved her to 1st place if she had not lost 50% of the points she won in Porec. Jamie Van Natta (USA) is still 3rd, but 20 points behind the second place. After Antalya, Jahna Davis (USA) and Petra Ericsson (SWE) moved up to 4th, while World Record holder Gladys Willems (BEL) jumped from 11th to 6th place. Constancy pays for Akram Shabani (IRI) who is now 7th.    The absence of the strong Mexican team from international competition this year has made Arminda Bastos and Almendra Ochoa disappear from the top 10. European Champion Camilla Soemod (DEN), absent in Antalya, dropped 11 points and three positions on the list.   For the new list to be published before Leipzig Kazantseva is very likely to move up to the very top, as Goncharova’s present position is mainly based on the gold medals she won in Antalya and San Salvador last year. These two events will lose 50% of their value for the new list.      Braden Gellenthien (USA) and Jorge Jimenez (ESA) Individual Men Compound Jorge Jimenez (ESA) has kept his ranking score and 1st place after Antalya. His gold in Korea and silver in Varese have given him enough points to enjoy a solid lead of more than 30 points, which he is very likely to keep on the next list to be published before Leipzig.   Several changes occurred in the following places: the American Gellenthien (silver medallist in Antalya) is now 2nd, while European Champion and Antalya gold medalist Sebastien Brasseur (FRA) moved from 10th to 3rd place, leaving Brazilian Roberval Dos Santos in 4th position in spite of a 10-point increase in his ranking score.    Three of the most renowned compound archers in the world moved down the list, either due to absence from major events or to poor results in Antalya: Reo Wilde (USA) dropped down from 2nd to 8th place, former World Champion Dave Cousins (USA) lost seven points and two places, while Morgan Lundin (SWE) dramatically fell from 5th to 14th.   No major changes are anticipated for the top three positions in the new list to be published just before Leipzig.  Natalya Erdyniyeva (RUS)    Individual Recurve Women Russian Natalya Erdyniyeva, winner in Antalya, moved from 22nd to 2nd place in this category, in which the top two archers on the list have not been very active this year. Korea’s Yun Ok Hee is now 1st, but will lose her position to Erdyniyeva in the next list prior to the World Championships. Chinese Qian Jianling, who has only competed in Ulsan this year, moved down to 3rd rank and is very likely to disappear from the top 10 as her top scores last year were achieved in Antalya and San Salvador. World Record holder Park Sung Hyun, now ranked 4th, will probably move up to 2nd place at the end of June.   Italian Valeeva (former no. 1), quite solid this year, jumped up to 9th in a list in which there are seven Koreans and twelve Asians in the top 20 places. Galinovskaya (RUS), winner in Porec 2006 and now expecting a baby, vanished from the front page of the list.   Individual Recurve Men The fact that the medal winners in Antalya were not among the top 20 in the previous list (the two Koreans were actually new to international competition), allowed Park Kyung Mo (KOR) to keep his 1st position on the list. Baljinima Tsyrempilov (RUS) is now 2nd second while Frangilli (ITA) ranks 3rd. Mexico’s Juan Rene Serrano (third in Antalya) moved up the ladder from 25th to 9th.    Petersson (SWE) lost four positions (4th to 8th), India’s Jayanta Talukdar dropped from 6th to 18th, while Yamamoto (JPN) lost 32 points and six places to now anchor 16th. Almost disappearing from the front page is Olympic Champion Marco Galiazzo (ITA) who lost 48 points and barely ranks 20th.   Tsyrempilov is likely to arrive in Leipzig as top ranked in the world in a category in which no archer has been dominating this year.     Russia (Team Compound Women) Team Women Compound The Russian team climbed up to 1st place in the World Ranking after Antalya, pushing the French women down one rank. USA and Italy added a few more points to their total and they solidly hold on to 3rd and 4th positions.   A big gap separates the four leaders from the rest of the top ten teams. Venezuela’s victory over France in Antalya placed the South Americans in 10th place. The Mexican team continue to lose points due to their absence from major events.   Team Men Compound France’s victory in Antalya triggered them to 1st place. They are followed by USA and Denmark. The Islamic Republic of Iran, Great Britain and the Netherlands follow very closely.    No major changes occurred in this category other than Australia dropping from 9th to 13th.   Team Women Recurve Korea’s 325 points are out of reach of any other teams in this category. They have the best team of the world, no matter which archers they choose to be part of their squad at each tournament. China’s bronze in Antalya added a few more points to keep their 2nd spot and increase advantage over pursuers.     The British team lost a few points after the value decrease of Porec 2006, allowing the Polish to move up to 3rd. Italy’s silver medal in Turkey was good enough for them to climb from 7th to 4th place with a 40.5 point increase.  Korea (Team Recurve Men and Women)    Team Men Recurve Korea’s advantage in the previous list was large enough to keep them on top despite a 7th place in Antalya. As Italians lost 35 points, the British is now second with their same previous ranking score.   Russia and the Netherlands made the biggest leap ahead thanks to their medals in Turkey. The Dutch are now 4th, while the Russians hold a 5 point difference over China in 5th place.   Next lists The next lists will be published by the end of June and will include the following changes:   Ø      Three new World Ranking Events will be added: Puerto Rico, Chinese Taipei and Venezuela. Ø      Three 2006 World Ranking Events will lose 50% of their value: the World Cups in Antalya and San Salvador, and the World University Championships held in Slovakia. Ø      Two 2005 World Ranking Events will be excluded from the calculation: The Juan E. Barrios Cup in Puerto Rico and the European Grand Prix held in Sopot, Poland.   Sergio Font Results coordinator