Korea and USA again

  Archers shot their individual elimination matches Thursday all the way to the semifinals at the Ogden World Cup. The recurve archers took to the field this morning contest their matches using the new Set System format - best of three sets until 1/8 eliminations, best of five thereafter.   The compound athletes then took the baton to shoot the second ever Compound Round (Hit/Miss at 50 metres)!   Recurve Men Most of the favourites went through the first round and most of them in straight sets! For instance Simon TERRY (GBR) beat Philippe ARSENAULT (CAN) 4-0 (55-49, 55-47), Michele FRANGILLI (ITA) beat the young talent Ivan DENIS (BEL) 4-2 (53-50, 47-50, 56-59). To note, Marco GALIAZZO met again with teammate Mauro NESPOLI in the first round, as was the case in Porec. GALIAZZO prevailed again 4-0 (52-47, 56-47). Recent field world champion Al WILLS (GBR) had a strong opponent beside him, CHEN Wenyuan (CHN). The Chinese athlete won 4-2 (55-57, 57-55, 59-52). One of the (local) favourites, Victor WUNDERLE (USA) went down losing to Jantsan GANTUGS (MGL) 0-4 (56-57, 52-54).   Some of the most exciting matches since the introduction of the Set System happened in the second round! The World Cup leader, No. 2 seed in Ogden and the big crowd favourite, Brady ELLISON (USA) found himself in a sudden-death one arrow shoot-off against the No. 31 seed Laurence GODFREY (GBR)! The match was tied at 3-3 (56-57, 55-55, 59-54). In the shoot-off both archer shot a 9, but the judge called ELLISSON a few millimetres closer to the centre to pull through the victory! In the Italian duel, 2004 Olympic champion GALIAZZO and 2003 individual world champion (among 28 other medals) FRANGILLI were also tied after regulation 3-3 (56-53, 54-54, 55-56). Both archers shot a 10 in the shoot-off but GALIAZZO was just one centimetre closer to centre! Another clash took place between the 2009 World Cup Final runner-up Simon TERRY (GBR) and the current individual world champion LEE Chang-Hawn (KOR). The Brit was impressive winning 4-0 (58-56, 58-56). Another notable, the No. 4 seed CHENG Chus Sian (MAS) beat Romain GIROUILLE (FRA) 4-2 (56-55, 54-55, 57-54).   The No. 1 seed IM Dong-Hyung (KOR) proved to be too good for TERRY in the 1/8 eliminations. The Korean won the first set 56-54 and did not leave miss yellow in the second set with 10-10-10-9-9-9 for 57. The Brit had 10-10-9-9-9-8 for 55. IM won in straight sets. The rest of the top of the bracket was heavy and intense! SUNG Chia Chun (TPE) and GALIAZZO ended tied at 3-3 (55-56, 56-55, 56-56). Both archers did not miss the yellow. In the shoot-off, they both shot 9 but GALIAZZO was not closest this time! SUNG advanced to the next round. KIM Woojin (KOR) defeated CHEN 4-0 (57-55, 57-55). Jake KAMINSKI (USA) had a hard fought game against CHENG but lost 2-4 (52-55, 53-52, 58-52). XING Yu (CHN) played the favourite ELLISON in this round and created the upset 4-1 (55-55, 57-55, 57-52).   Three of the quarterfinals went to the limit of five sets! The No 1 seed IM was challenged by SUNG. Both archers were tied at 4 set points apiece after four sets (28-28, 29-26, 30-30, 26-29). In the fifth set IM was solid with 10-10-9, while SUNG had 9-9-10. Victory for the Korean 6-4. Crispin DUENAS (CAN) and XING were also tied at 4-4 (28-30, 26-26, 27-26, 27-27). In the fifth, the Canadian prevailed with 10-10-9 over the 10-8-10 of the Chinese archer, 6-4 to DUENAS. KIM had the upper hand over CHENG for the match but he still had to conclude with a perfect 30 to clinch the match 7-3. In the last quarterfinals, a third Korean qualified. The 2009 team world champion OH Jin-Hyek beat the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Tim CUDDIHY (AUS) 6-0 (30-25, 29-28, 29-27).   DUENAS could not avoid an all-Korean gold final, but he tried his best! He took the lead over OH 2-0 (28-27), but the Korean came back to 2-2 (29-28). They tied the third set, 29-29. Then, OH was more consistent shooting another 29 in the fourth set, compared to DUENAS’s 28. The Canadian had to win the last set to tie the match. He started with a 10, while OH shot an 8. However, DUENAS shot a 7 with the next arrow, losing all his chances. He finished with an 8. OH concluded with 10-10 to take a spot in the gold final, 7-3 (27-28, 29-28, 29-29, 29-28, 28-25). In the other semifinal the young KIM fought hard against one of the best all time, IM. They tied the first set 28-28. Then IM shot a perfect 30 to take the lead, 3-1. However, he then ran into trouble. IM shot 7-9-10 in the third set, while KIM shot 10-9-9. The score was tied at 3-3. Then KIM took the lead with 10-9-10, while IM shot 9-9-9, 5-3. Both archers finished with 9-9-9. KIM created the upset, beating IM 6-4 (28-28, 27-30, 28-26, 29-27, 27-27)!   During Saturday’s finals KIM will play OH for gold and DUENAS will shoot against IM for bronze.   Recurve Women In the 1/32 elimination round the No 64 Dawn NELSON (AUS) managed to tie the leader from qualifications, KIM Moon-Jung (KOR), at 2-2. However the Korean archer upped her level in the end to win 4-2. Of the 20 best from qualifications, the No 13 CHENG Ming from China was the only one not to advance to the 1/16 elimination round.   KIM had to fight hard again in the 1/16 elimination round. She trailed the No 33 Karina WINTER (GER) 0-2 (55-57) but came back to 2-2 (57-52) and then 4-2 (55-52). KIM will be joined in the next round by her three Korean teammates who all qualified in straight sets. An injured Berengere SCHUH (FRA) lost to Marie-Pier BEAUDET (CAN) 2-4 (57-48, 53-54, 52-55). The French archer would have won the match easily under the old competition format. Other notable eliminations include Natalia VALEEVA, who lost to ZHU Shanshan (CHN) in a shoot-off; the 20-year-old finalist from Antalya, Inna STEPANOVA (RUS), was eliminated by Elena RICHTER (GER) with a score of 4-2 (56-50, 50-53, 54-53); finally it was over for the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Alison WILLIAMSON (GBR), who lost 1-5 to China’s XU Jing.   XU went on to defeat the 2009 World bronze medallist Natalia SANCHEZ (COL) in the 1/8 elimination round. While KIM qualified easily this time, the same could not be said of her teammates. YUN won 4-2 (57-49, 55-55, 56-56) against TAN Ya-Ting (TPE). KI Bo Bae and Jennifer NICHOLS (USA) ended in a tie at 3-3 and contested the only shoot-off of this round. KI won the match with a 10 against a 9 from the US Olympian. In another tight match, JOO Hyun-Jung (KOR) defeated the World Cadet champion from Ogden 2009, Deepika KUMARI (IND), with a score of 4-2 (53-56, 58-54, 57-53). The other archer from India Dola BANERJEE lost to ZHU.   The quarterfinals featured the four Korean girls against two Chinese and two European archers. ZHU from China lost in three straight sets to her Korean opponent, KIM. The Korean archer scored 10-9-9, 10-9-10, 10-10-7 while ZHU shot 10-8-8, 9-9-9 and 8-7-9. Meanwhile XU lost to YUN 2-6. The two remaining matches were tighter, going all the way to shoot-offs. JOO shot a perfect first score of 30 to take the first set over RICHTER (10-8-9). The 21-year-old German archer replied with a perfect second set (30) against JOO’s 9-8-8. The scores were tied at 2-2. RICHTER was steadier in the third set with 10-8-9 to JOO’s 8-9-9. The score moved to 4-2, then 5-3. A weak fifth set by RICHTER (8-7-9) allowed JOO to come back and tie at 5-5. In the shoot-off, JOO shot a 9 - just a few millimetres closer to the centre and advanced to the semifinals. KI and Justyna MOSPINEK (POL) also displayed a very tight match. The score evolution was 0-2, 2-2, 3-3, 3-5, 5-5 (29-30, 29-28, 27-27, 27-28, 28-27). In the shoot-off the 2008 World Cup Final champion from Poland shot “only” a 9, while KI had a 10. The four Korean archers advanced to the semifinals.   In the first semifinal KIM lost the first set (9-8-9 to JOO’s 9-9-10), but came back in the second (10-9-9 to 9-10-8) to tie at 2-2. KIM went on to win the next two sets, mainly because of three 8s from her opponent. The scores of the second half were 9-10-8, 10-9-10 for KIM, 8-8-9 and 10-9-8 for JOO. KIM defeated JOO 6-2, and KI beat YUN with the same score in the other semifinal. KI won the first set (9-10-10 to 10-9-9). Both archers shot the exact same total in the second and the third sets (27 and 29), moving the score from 2-0 to 3-1 and 4-2. Finally, KI won the last set for just one point, 10-8-10 to 10-9-8.   The gold medal final will feature KI and KIM Saturday evening at Ogden’s Lindquist Field at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.   Compound Men At the 1/32 elimination round, José DUO (ESP), who placed 4th at the last two world championships, met Patrizio HOFER (SUI), whose best result was 2nd place in the 2008 World Cup Final. Neither of the archers had more Hits than Misses, as the score shows: 1-1, 2-1, 1-1, 1-0, victory 5-3 for the Spaniard. As for Clint FREEMAN (AUS), the 2003 World Champion easily advanced to the next round by defeating Peter GRIP (SWE) 5-1 (2-1, 3-2, 2.0).   In the 1/16 eliminations, the leader from qualifications and winner of the 2007 World Cup Final, Jorge JIMENEZ (ESA), defeated Roberval DOS SANTOS (BRA) 5-3. José DUO won the first set against the No 2 Rodger WILLET Jr (USA) and led 2-0, but the American came back strongly to win the next three sets and the match. Teammates Jesse BROADWATER and Braden GELLENTHIEN also advanced to the 1/8 elimination round. There was a tight match between the 2009 World Champion Reo WILDE (USA), shooting almost at home, and Shaun TEASDALE (NZL). Finally the New Zealander upset the American favourite in the shoot-off 5-4 (2-3, 2-1, 2-2, 3-3; T1-T1, T1-T0)! Sergio PAGNI (ITA) also went to a shoot-off against Hafid JAIME (MEX), which he won at the very last arrow—5-4 (3-2, 2-3, 3-3, 2-2; T1-T1, T1-T1, T1-0). The winner of the Porec stage, Sam KYRITSOGLOU (BEL), was in even more danger. He beat Guy PHILLIP (AUS) at the last arrow, closest to centre! Both archers actually shot perfectly! Final score 5-4 (3-3, 3-3, 3-3, 3-3; T1-T1, T1-T1, T1*- T1). Other qualifiers include the 2007 World Champion Dietmar TRILLUS (CAN) and the FITA Round world record holder Peter ELZINGA (NED). A tight match featured the young World Bronze medallists from 2007 and 2009, Martin DAMSBO (DEN) and Stephen CLIFTON (NZL), respectively. CLIFTON led 3-1, 3-3 and won 5-3. It was over for DAMSBO, who had won the last World Cup stage in Antalya!   In the 1/8 eliminations, JIMENEZ won the clash of titans against PAGNI 6-2 (2-2, 3-1, 2-2, 3-2). TEASDALE advanced thanks to another shoot-off. He beat Vladas SIGAUSKAS (LTU) 5-4 (3-2, 1-2, 3-3, 1-1, T1-T0). WILLET did the same. He prevailed over Andrew FAGAN (CAN) 5-4 (3-1, 2-3, 3-2, 1-2; T1-T0). TRILLUS, GELLENTHIEN, BROADWATER and ELZINGA also advanced to the next round.   There was no shoot-off in the quarterfinals! GELLENTHIEN won the American duel against BROADWATER, shooting one more hit! Final score 5-3 (3-3, 3-3, 2-2, 3-2). DELOCHE beat TRILLUS also by one hit, 5-3 (3-2, 3-3, 2-2, 2-2). The two other matches were less intense. JIMENEZ defeated TEASDALE 6-2 (3-3, 3-1, 2-2, 3-1). The other American WILLET prevailed over ELZINGA 6-2 (3-2, 2-1, 2-3, 2-1).   JIMENEZ continued on in great fashion beating DELOCHE 6-2 (2-2, 3-3, 3-1, 3-1). It was much closer between GELLENTHIEN and WILLET. They ended tied at 4-4 after regulation (3-3, 3-3, 3-3, 2-2). They were still tied after the first shoot-off, 1-1. Finally GELLENTHIEN prevailed in the second shoot-off 1-0.   Compound Women The women started their competition at the 1/16 eliminations round. All the favourites went through. Nicky HUNT (GBR) – Anne MITCHELL (NZL) 6-0, Camilla SOEMOD (DEN) – Cassie MC CALL (AUS) 5-3, Sandrine VANDIONANT (FRA) – Mandy McGREGOR (NZL) 6-2, Albina LOGINOVA (RUS) – Kellie HOLMES (AUS) 5-3.   In the 1/8 eliminations, Camille DEMERS-BOUFFARD (CAN) beat HUNT 5-3 (3-3, 3-1, 1-2, 1-3). Two athletes present at the final in Copenhagen last year met, SOEMOD and Ivana BUDEN (CRO). The Dane prevailed 5-1 (3-2, 2-1, 1-1). Brittany LORENTI won the American duel against Antalya winner Erika ANSCHUTZ in a very exciting match that went to the limit! LORENTI had her third arrow of the shoot-off closest to centre. Sandrine VANDIONANT (FRA) upset Ashley WALLACE (CAN) 5-3 (2-1, 2-1, 1-3, 2-2) and finally LOGINOVA beat Andrea GALES (GBR) in a shoot-off 5-4 (3-1, 2-3, 1-1, 2-2, T0-T0, T1-T0).   In the quarterfinals, Irina MARKOVIC (NED) beat the world champion LOGINOVA (RUS) in the first shoot-off. Porec bronze medallist VANDIONANT will appear in another final. She defeated LORENTI 6-2 (3-2, 2-1, 1-2, 2-1). Doris JONES (CAN) beat SOEMOED on the same set score, 6-2 (3-1, 2-2, 1-1, 3-2) and the No. 1 seed Jamie VAN NATTA (USA) beat BOUFFARD-DEMERS (CAN).   In the semifinals, VANDIONANT fought hard at the end of the match to prevail over MARKOVIC 5-3 (1-1, 0-1, 2-0, 2-1) and the No. 1 seed VAN NATTA was beaten by the No. 4 seed JONES 5-3 (3-3, 3-1, 2-2, 2-2).   The compound finals will be contested on Saturday in a night session at Lindquist Field.   Vanahé ANTILLE / Didier MIEVILLE World Archery Communication