Wroclaw finals preview: Recurve Sunday

RECURVE MEN’S INDIVIDUAL GOLD (AFTERNOON SESSION):  JEAN-CHARLES VALLADONT   / ZACH GARRETT  

Valladont has been a fixture on the Archery World Cup circuit since 2008, won individual bronze in Wroclaw in 2014 – and has many team medals – along with an individual gold from the field event at the 2013 World Games in Cali.

He’s keen to finally make his individual mark on the World Cup, though and said as much immediately after his semifinal. This is Zach Garrett’s first international season and first solo appearance on a major stage, but he is on fire.

Both have been extremely strong in qualifying and this has the makings of a classic. Garrett has the tools to win this.

Advantage: Garrett

RECURVE MEN’S INDIVIDUAL BRONZE (AFTERNOON SESSION): ANTON PRILEPOV  / MAURO NESPOLI  

The second appearance for both of these veteran men on recurve Sunday in Wroclaw. Prilepov has impressed in all rounds, was a little unlucky against Garrett in a windy semifinal, and will be hungry to finally grab an individual World Cup medal after a long career – which recently featured a highlight bronze at the first European Games in Baku.

Nespoli, the Olympic team champion, was second in Wroclaw in 2014, and remains one of the toughest competitors on the circuit. Both are shooting strong, but Nespoli probably has the edge.

Advantage: Nespoli

RECURVE WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL GOLD (AFTERNOON SESSION): MACKENZIE BROWN  / AYANO KATO 

Two archers from the same generation. Ayano Kato was part of the Japanese team that took a bronze medal in Shanghai last year, where she also made the individual bronze medal final, losing to Aida Roman. At that same Shanghai competition, Mackenzie Brown took mixed team gold with Brady Ellison.

Brown will have the advantage - perhaps - after shooting in the morning’s team rounds. But Japan will be anxious to take home some silverware from this meet to prove the B-team is up there with the A-team, and Kato had a much tougher draw to get here, beating Deepika Kumari, Elena Richter, and Ana Maria Rendon on the way. 

Advantage: Kato

RECURVE WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL BRONZE (AFTERNOON SESSION): KRISTINE ESEBUA  / ELENA RICHTER  

Two highly experienced competitors here. Richter has seen many World Cup final stages both individually and as a team, and won in Shanghai last year. Kristine Esebua’s career highlight was a silver medal at the world championships in Turin in 2011, but all the Georgian women are clearly in form, and it could be seriously close. 

Advantage: Richter

RECURVE MIXED TEAM GOLD (AFTERNOON SESSION): MEXICO v INDIA

The Mexican pairing of Aida Roman and Juan Rene Serrano are riding solo here, without coaches and just a pair of compound teammates for company.

They face a strong Indian team of Deepika Kumari and Mangal Singh Champia. Both pairings are working well and will be very keen to get something here, and we think the Indian pair, buoyed by Abishchek Verma's Independence Day win, might just have a small edge. 

Advantage: India

RECURVE MEN’S TEAM GOLD (MORNING SESSION): USA  / GERMANY 

The USA men have been dominant this competition, qualifying top, swatting aside Switzerland and Brazil, and then beating China in a shoot-off.

The German men’s team similarly thumped France and India in their first two rounds before winning a shoot-off to nip past Italy. The pressure is most definitely on the USA men to deliver, especially after the compound men got clipped by Denmark. If they can erase the memory of Copenhagen, on paper it’s theirs to lose. Can they do it?

Advantage: USA

RECURVE WOMEN’S TEAM GOLD (MORNING SESSION): USA  / GEORGIA 

The first big match for the USA on the day. They are in some form at this championships, but so are Georgia, who pounded Iran, Germany and Italy to make the final. After a terrible world championships for the USA women’s team, where they failed to qualify a team for Rio, this is a must-win for the USA.

There is a little frisson here: Khatuna Lorig, of the USA team will be facing off against the nation of her birth. All the pressure will be on the Americans here, and Georgia will likely be bringing their A-game.  

Advantage: Georgia