World Ranking event Arizona Cup kicks off with record registrations

  Most of the top archers from the host country will be competing for medals and world ranking points, as well as archers from fourteen other countries including, China, Brazil, Australia, a cadet women’s team from Korea and the entire Mexican Olympic Team.

In a year packed with key international events such as the World Cup Series, the World Championships, and the World Games, who will stand out?

Recurve Archery
    Olympic bronze medallist Mariana AVITIA (MEX)   
The recurve division features World No. 1 ranked archer, who hails from Arizona Brady ELLISON (USA). His strongest rivals include Luis ALVAREZ (MEX), Juan Rene SERRANO (MEX) and Crispin DUENAS (CAN).

With so much talent in the men’s recurve category, there is real potential for close competition – and some shakeups. Jake KAMINSKI (USA), coming off a team medal win but an early individual exit in the Olympic Games, started the season strong with a gold medal win at the recent Versus Mexico event. When asked about his focus for this week, KAMINSKI said he is driven to “maintain the same focus that I had at the Versus shoot. I laid the groundwork months ago, however I am shooting other distances than just 70m.”

For the recurve women’s group, the competition could well end up in a Mexico-USA showdown, with the Mexican Olympic team Mariana AVITIA, Aida ROMAN, and Alejandra VALENCIA certainly in contention for medals. However, the American “team that could” – Jennifer HARDY, Khatuna LORIG and Miranda LEEK – will be reunited in Arizona for what promises to be a high-energy elimination round. With lessons learned in London under their belts, can the U.S. women finish strong on their home turf?

Compound Archery
  
The men’s compound competition promises to be unpredictable, with lots of heavy hitters in the game this week, including men’s World No. 1 Reo WILDE (USA). Besides WILDE, there is a host of talent from the host country in the category. Look for World No. 2 and World Cup Final winner Braden GELLENTHIEN, and multi-time world champion Dave COUSINS to shake things up. Their biggest rivals from other countries include Mexico’s Julio Ricardo FIERRO and Hafid JAIME, and former world champion from Canada Dietmar TRILLUS.

With winds predicted at twelve-plus miles per hour in Arizona, the 50 meter round could get interesting very quickly.

On the ladies’ side, World Ranking top tens Jamie VAN NATTA and Erika JONES from the U.S.A, and Mexico’s Linda OCHOA and Stephanie Sarai SALINAS are among the favourites.

For her part, Jamie VAN NATTA has been training hard, and says she is focused on making good shots. “I changed a few things,” she commented, “including the speed of my release, so I really want to focus on execution rather than score for this first event.” In addition to JONES, OCHOA and SALINAS, VAN NATTA will have competition from teammate Diane WATSON, who is learning about her shots in a new way: by coaching other archers.

“I have found that coaching has made me really think about my own shot and about the areas that I can improve upon,” WATSON explained. “A lot of the coaching I have been doing is regarding proper back tension, and that led me to look at my own shots and discover that over the years, I had gotten a little soft in my shot. So this week, my commitment is to making my shots strong each time.”

The excitement kicks off with qualifications on Friday, continues with team rounds on Saturday, and concludes with eliminations and medal matches on Sunday. Live scores will be online throughout the event on Ianseo. Photos of the event will also be posted on World Archery’s facebook and twitter fan pages.

World Archery Communication