The 2013 season starts this weekend in Nimes!

 Rick VAN DER VEN (NED)    The Nimes Tournament attracted over a thousand archers from 31 countries, including the best archers in the world. In recurve, the stars of this edition will be the new Olympic team champions from Italy : Mauro NESPOLI, Michele FRANGILLI, Marco GALIAZZO, all of whom are former winners of the tournament. Another Olympian to watch is the 21-year-old Rick VAN DER VEN (NED), European champion in 2012 (individual and team), who achieved 4th place in London. The world No.1 and Olympic team silver medallist Brady ELLISON (USA) will be seeking a third consecutive victory in Nimes after 2011 and 2012. His Olympic teammate Jake KAMINSKI, silver medallist at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, could also emerge on top in Nimes. For the first time, the tournament will welcome an archer from India, Rahul BANERJEE, winner of multiple World Cup honours, who will compete in the second indoor event of his career. Finally, France has a serious contender in Jean-Charles VALLADONT, who became field world champion last summer and recently won the Indoor World Cup stage 1 in Singapore.   On the women’s side, could anyone stop the French archer Berengere SCHUH ? A former indoor world champion, SCHUH has already won the Nimes Tournament three times. Her compatriot Celine BEZAULT, who won the Indoor World Cup stage 1 in December, is also a serious threat. Other archers to watch are Italian Olympians Pia Carmen LIONETTI, whose best result in Nimes is a second place, and Natalia VALEEVA, a five-time indoor world champion (the last time being in 2012). VALEEVA is chasing a first victory in the Nimes Tournament. Finally, let’s not forget Lisa UNRUH (GER), who won the tournament three times in the past, as well as several Russian talents led by Ksenia PEROVA, 5th in London and currently ranked No. 4 in the world.       Sandrine VANDIONANT (FRA)  The world’s best compound archers will be present in Nimes as well. The current leader of the world ranking Reo WILDE (USA) is expected to shine on the men’s side. Over the year 2012, Reo WILDE suffered only one defeat – in the gold medal match of the World Cup Final in Tokyo. He dominated the Indoor World Championships in February (winning individual and team golds) and the three World Cup stages of the year, before winning the Face2Face tournament in Amsterdam and the Indoor World Cup stage 1 in Singapore. He’s never been victorious in Nimes – except at the 2003 Indoor World Championships. One of WILDE’s strongest opponents will be Braden GELLENTHIEN, winner of the tournament in 2011, who defeated him at the Tokyo World Cup Final. Europe will be represented by its finest compound archers, the European champion Sergio PAGNI, winner in Nimes in 2006, 2008 and 2012, and the French Dominique GENET and Pierre-Julien DELOCHE (winner in 2009), who are respectively No. 3 and 4 of the world ranking.   The 2012 champion of the compound women category Danielle BROWN (GBR), who won the Paralympic gold medal before placing second at the World Cup Final, will travel to Nimes to defend her title. She will be challenged by the leader of the world ranking and two-time outdoor world champion Albina LOGINOVA (RUS). Two Italian archers have a strong shot at the podium : Anastasia ANASTASIO (winner in 2009) and the current world No. 2 Marcella TONIOLI. The world indoor silver medallist 2012 Inge VAN CASPEL will try to do better than her second-place finish in Nimes 2011. Finally, the host country can have strong medal hopes this year, with Pascale LEBECQUE (world outdoor silver medallist in 2011), Joanna CHESSE (defending World Cup Final winner) and the archer from Nimes Sandrine VANDIONANT (several World Cup podiums).   All practical information and results will be available on the organisers' website.   World Archery Communication