Archery’s world elite clash in the Olympic Capital

The eight best athlete in each competition category over the Archery World Cup season compete at the World Cup Final. It’s a straight knockout, compound archers shooting at 50 metres and Olympic-style recurves at 70, with the seeds and brackets decided according to the archers’ World Cup Rankings.

Competitors collected ranking points throughout the year at four qualifying stages: Shanghai, Medellin, Antalya and Wroclaw.

Sunday’s recurve division features a collection of Olympians. London 2012 Olympic Champion OH Jin Hyek (KOR) returns to defend his World Cup Champion title, joined by Dutchman Rick VAN DER VEN – who finished fourth at the last Games – and Germany’s Elena RICHTER.

Aida ROMAN was silver medallist in the London women’s event. “I feel like I’m finishing the dream,” the Mexican archer said. “I’m at home shooting and enjoying this great party the Olympic city is organising for us.”

“In Mexico we say it’s ‘muy padre’.” That means: really cool.

Two weeks ago at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, Marcus DALMEIDA came second after carrying the flag for Brazil at the Games’ opening ceremony. He’s still buzzing from the environment in China – and says that the amazing atmosphere carries into the Olympic Capital.

Both Aida and Marcus – and Rick VAN DER VEN – said visiting the Olympic Museum was a fantastic experience.

Although not yet on the Olympic Programme, compound archery has been included in the Asian Games for the first time at Incheon, which will take place next month. The Archery World Cup compound finals were held yesterday on Place de Navigation, next to Lake Geneva.

Sara LOPEZ shot a confident gold medal match to take the women’s title – the second Colombian athlete in a row to win the division – while first-year international Bridger DEATON beat the world number one in the men’s final.

Today, in the arena built next to the Olympic Countdown clock in the Olympic Capital, it’s the turn of Olympic recurve competition.

Watch and follow scores from the Lausanne 2014 Archery World Cup Final live on Archery TV, read news, see photos and follow World Archery’s coverage on Facebook and via @worldarchery on Twitter.