Russia’s three compound women all qualify in Wroclaw top eight

Natalia AVDEEVA’s 697 led the compound women’s 72-arrow qualification in Wroclaw. Albina LOGINOVA ranked third and Svetlana CHERKASHNEVA came in seventh.

The Russian team snapped the USA compound women’s gold medal streak at the last Archery World Cup stage in Antalya. Unbeaten in both Shanghai and Medellin, the States girls were on the receiving end of a four-point loss at stage three.

At stage four, here in Wroclaw, a rematch looks likely.

As a team, Russia qualified in first with a combined total of 2081. The USA trailed them by 16 points to take the second seed.

Crystal GAUVIN took the second individual seed, behind AVDEEVA, and Erika JONES clocked in fifth. Both receive third-round byes, like the Russians. Third USA team member Christie COLIN had a disappointing second half, pushing her down to 24th individually and keeping the team a comfortable margin behind the leaders.

“We’re shooting really well as a team, all the girls,” said two-time world champion Albina LOGINOVA. “We had a training camp before the Europeans in Armenia and then a short one after, and we’re all on point.”

LOGINOVA hadn’t seen the scores when she was interviewed, but she was confident about her team: “I’m pretty sure we’re number one.”

Despite her third-place individual seeding, Albina wasn’t happy with her shooting. Suffering from a fever since the Armenia event, she admitted struggling through qualification today in Wroclaw.

“I had a rubbish first half,” she said, with a look of disgust on her face. “Then started the second half 59, 60 and 59, before some 56s and a 57.”

Tomorrow is Albina’s birthday. She doesn’t like birthdays, she says – but she’d no doubt take the gift of a clear path through eliminations. Sitting in fifth in the compound women’s World Cup rankings – a division that is murky after the top two – making the top eight in Wroclaw would likely nail her an invitation to Lausanne 2014.

Three archers from the Americas also received top eight byes: Sara LOPEZ from Colombia ranked fourth, and Mexicans Linda OCHOA and Brenda MERINO finished qualification in sixth and eighth respectively.

Follow results from the fourth stage of the 2014 Archery World Cup in Wroclaw.