Olympian Vedat Erbay among top target seeds at 2019 European Masters Games

Qualification for the target archery competition at the 2019 European Masters Games took place on Saturday 3 August at the Stadio Porcelli in Torino.

Turkish Olympian Vedat Erbay was the top-scoring recurve archer, shooting 651 out of a possible 720 points for the 72-arrow 60-metre ranking round to also take the number one seed in the men’s 50+ event. Austria’s Renate Kerbl, on 632, was the highest-scoring recurve woman and in the 50+ competition.

Other Olympic archers to compete in Torino included Nathalie Dielen of Switzerland, Spanish team gold medallist Juan Carlos Holgado and Marie-Claire van Stevens.

Maire-Clarie, the lone competitor in the recurve women‘s 70+ division, represented Belgium in Los Angeles in 1984.

Recurve archers in the official World Archery’s masters category, aged 50 years and over, shoot 60 metres. The additional 30+ and 40+ categories in Torino compete over 70 metres.

All compound athletes shoot 50 metres.

Finland’s Aulis Humalajoki (50+) and Monica Finessi of Italy (50+) qualified top, scoring 685 and 673, respectively.

Six men, including 1976 and 1980 Olympian James Conroy, shot the ranking round in the compound men’s 70+ competition. The top scorer was South Africa’s Ganther Kramer with 674.

The target event at the 2019 European Masters Games concludes tomorrow in Torino. A total of 312 athletes from 32 countries are participating.

European Masters Games take place every four years and take place alongside World Masters Games, Asia-Pacific Masters Games and Pan American Masters Games.

The goal of the International Masters Games Association is to promote the benefits of competition and activity among older athletes. Upwards of 8000 people are expected to compete across 30 sports in Torino.

World Archery held its first world masters championships in 2018 in Lausanne.

The next world champion titles for masters archers will be awarded as part of the World Masters Games in Kansai, Japan in 2021.

The archery competitions at the 2019 European Masters Games take place on 31 July to 4 August in Torino, Italy.