Finishing touches put to venue in Telford, third stage of Indoor World Cup starts on Friday

Telford is the last chance for athletes to pick up Indoor Archery World Cup ranking points before the fourth stage and Final in Las Vegas at the beginning of February. This means the first-time host of a World Cup stage has attracted the world’s top archers, as it replaces Nimes on this year’s calendar while the French town concentrates on organising the World Indoor Championships.

Friday afternoon’s schedule includes two of four ranking rounds. The other two will be shot on Saturday morning, before the eliminations take place in the evening. Sunday will leave only finalists remaining, and bronze and gold medal matches will be shot in an arena and live broadcast on ArcheryTV.

Heading into this third stage of the Indoor Archery World Cup, Jean-Charles VALLADONT (FRA) and Mike SCHLOESSER (NED) lead the recurve and compound men’s rankings respectively. The women’s divisions are tied, recurve between Marrakesh winner Naomi FOLKARD (GBR) and last year’s champion JEON Sung Eun (KOR), while the USA’s Crystal GAUVIN and Erika JONES head the compound ranking.

There is still time for new names to join the list, with a minimum of two stages needed to qualify for the Final (including Vegas), and plenty of points available to top finishers in Telford.

By the numbers

860+ total competitors shooting76 qualification targets, shot in a single, L-shaped shooting line40 nations representedAll four reigning Indoor Archery World Cup Final champions competing: Brady ELLISON (USA), JEON Sung Eun (KOR), Braden GELLENTHIEN (USA) and Andrea GALES (GBR)

Archers to watch on Friday
Among the two sessions of archers shooting their 60-arrow, 18-metre ranking round Friday afternoon are American stars Chance BEAUBOUEF and Jake KAMINSKI, British Olympian Naomi FOLKARD, two-time World Champion outdoors Albina LOGINOVA (RUS), top qualifier in Singapore Linda OCHOA and many of her Mexican teammates.

Check the full start lists, and follow all the results from the first ranking round sessions live from 14:00 midday local time (GMT) on Friday 24 January 2014. Find more information about the European Archery Festival.

World Archery Communication