Experts predict: The Odense 2016 Champions

The 2016 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final takes place 24/25 September in Odense, Denmark. Compound competition runs on Saturday 24, recuve on Sunday 25. The entire weekend is available to watch live, online and for free on World Archery’s YouTube Channel and The Olympic Channel.

Here are our experts’ picks for the Odense 2016 Champions…

John Stanley
Journalist and blogger

Picks: Tan Ya-Ting, Chinese Taipei ; Kim Woojin, Korea ; Yesim Bostan, Turkey ; Demir Elmagaacli, Turkey 

John’s recurve choices – he said – both had “a massive point to prove”. Kim Woojin, of course, set a world record in Rio before ducking out of the Olympics in the second round. Tan Ya-Ting is top seed in Odense.

A double-Turkish gold in the compound categories would be a first. But Yesim Bostan, John said, has “lots of motivation. She’s getting better all the time.”

George Tekmitchov
Commentator

Picks: Maja Jager, Denmark ; Kim Woojin, Korea ; Marcella Tonioli, Italy ; Sergio Pagni, Italy 

“While teammate Ku Bonchan has been decrompressing after his Olympic Champion title, Kim has taken the motivation of a too-early exit from Rio and put nose to the grindstone,” said George. “Proven by his new world record at 30 metres last week.”

He also picked Brady Ellison as a dark horse – and was the only one of the four experts polled to highlight host nation archer, and 2013 World Archery Champion, Maja Jager as having a top chance in the recurve women’s event.

Andrea Vasquez
Journalist

Picks: Choi Misun, Korea ; Sjef van den Berg, Netherlands ; Sarah Sonnichsen, Denmark ; Demir Elmagaacli, Turkey 

Only one of Andrea’s picks is a top-seeded athlete in Odense. Sarah Sonnichsen, of host nation Denmark, has a chance to run at gold in front of a favourable crowd.

“She’s performed really well in the last 12 months and there’s never going to be a better stage for her to succeed, and she’s in the perfect place in the brackets to take advantage of it,” said Andrea.

Carl Arky
TV commentator

Picks: Choi Misun, Korea ; Brady Ellison, USA ; Crystal Gauvin, USA ; Martin Damsbo, Denmark 

“Home turf, I like that,” said Carl of Martin Damsbo’s chances in Odense. Damsbo, though extremely experienced (an Archery World Cup Champion in 2013, in fact), is the eighth seed in 2016. He’d have to battle his way up from the bottom to take gold.

Carl also likes Olympic individual bronze medallist Ellison to take an unprecedented fourth Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion title in the recurve men’s competition.

“Just because he’s motivated,” Carl said.

The 2016 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final runs 24/25 September in Odense, Denmark.