Head to head archery: JONES versus LOGINOVA

There’s a good chance of seeing Erika JONES (USA) and Albina LOGINOVA (RUS) face-off against each other on Saturday.

Between the two of them, they have traded the number one world ranking back and forth since 2011, with Erika holding the title since July last year until it was finally seized last month by Sara LOPEZ (COL) after her strong run in Wroclaw.

Russian   Albina LOGINOVA
5 World ranking   Compound woman

Hoyt Bow
Easton Arrows


Erika JONES   USA
Compound woman   World ranking 1

Bow Hoyt
Arrows Easton

Erika Jones
@erika_usa
 

Current form

Erika JONES – who is still only 25 – has had a strong 2014 season by taking individual World Cup gold in Medellin along with the usual parade of dominant USA team performances. She also broke the indoor world record for a ranking round in Nimes with 595 points.

Albina LOGINOVA has only made one individual podium this season (bronze in Wroclaw), but the Russian secured her finals place with a string of consistent high placings, also taking a team gold in Antalya.

Just getting through the first rounds in Lausanne will be a stern test, with Erika facing last year’s finals champion Alejandra USQUIANO (COL) and Albina up against rising star and newly-crowned field champion Toja CERNE (SLO).

Advantage: Push

Track records

Both athletes are among the most decorated compound archers in history.

They are each former World Cup final winners, with LOGINOVA taking the honours in Edinburgh 2010 and JONES in Istanbul 2011.

They both have literally dozens of individual and team stage medals between them, along with indoor titles, World Games trophies and much more.

However, LOGINOVA’s staggering individual record in the World Championships – a silver and two golds in consecutive events – gives her the international edge, despite Erika’s recent dominance.

Advantage: LOGINOVA

Head to head match-ups

Not surprisingly, the two have met nine times in the past five years at the highest level.

JONES leads the victory count 5-4, but LOGINOVA has won the last two meetings.

Their last face-off was at the finals of Wroclaw 2013 where Albina produced a 10-9 victory in the one-arrow shoot-off.

Advantage: JONES

Mental game / Shooting style

Both have long been full-time professionals and are calm and composed out on the field.

Erika is perhaps a little more open, and doesn’t hide her emotions when she shoots a bad shot.

Albina is immensely ambitious and is very hard on herself when not shooting to her own expectations.

Interestingly, neither of them seems to shoot quite as well as normal when going head-to-head against each other – the pressure of the rivalry seems to hang over the encounter.

Advantage: Push

Archery image

Albina is actually one of the most respected compound archers. Before Belek 2013, she made three World Championships Finals in a row: won Torino and Ulsan gold, while silver in Leipzig.

Still, Erika has shot consistently high scores in the World Cup through years and has been doing good with team event competitions.

Oh, but in the social media world, JONES has the lead: personal Facebook account with more than 800 friends, a Facebook fan page with more than 5000 followers – and more than 2000 on Twitter.

Advantage: LOGINOVA

Conclusion

A tough, tough pick!

This season has produced one of the strongest women’s compound fields ever assembled, and it’s pretty much anyone’s game out there.

If JONES and LOGINOVA do go head to head – and it’s very much a case of "if" – JONES might win... in a shoot-off, probably.

The pick: JONES... just!

The 2014 Archery World Cup Final is on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September. Compound competition is on the first day and recurve on the second. Read news, buy tickets and follow World Archery’s coverage on Facebook and @worldarchery on Twitter.