Alison WILLIAMSON moves closer to a 6th successive Olympics

Alison WILLIAMSON's dream of a sixth successive appearance at the Olympic Games is alive and well, as she became one of eight British archers to secure their places at this week’s third and final selection shoot.
WILLIAMSON won the individual bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Alison WILLIAMSON, the individual Olympic bronze medallist in Athens in 2004, will line up alongside Amy OLIVER, Naomi FOLKARD and Charlotte BURGESS at Lilleshall this week. Three archers will then secure selection for the GB team at the London Games.

Larry GODFREY, Simon TERRY and Alan WILLS – who were all at the Beijing Olympics four years ago – and Michael PEART will battle for the three places in the men’s event at Lords.

Larry topped the rankings after the second selection shoot at Lilleshall last weekend, and his total score after stages one and two give him a commanding lead over Simon (5,489), Alan (5,300) and Michael (5217).

It meant that Rob HALLWORTH – whose points total after two stages saw him just 19 points adrift of Michael – and Andrew RANDALL dropped out.

In the women’s selection process, it was former world compound number one Nicky HUNT and Beccy MARTIN who missed out, while Amy leads the way with a combined total of 5, 184 going into the third and final shoot, ahead of Naomi (5,140), Alison (5,109), and Charlotte, whose 4,989 points pipped Nicky by just 20.

“There’s been some fantastic archery in both the so far completed selection shoots, and as ever you wish everyone could go through,” said Archery GB Performance Director Sara SYMINGTON.

“But sport doesn’t work like that, and all I can say is sincere congratulations to the eight archers who’ve made it through to the third and final shoot, and sincere commiserations to those who have missed out.

“Rob Hallworth did himself proud over two shoots, even more so after becoming a dad just days before the first one – but he gave it his all, and for someone who’s not part of the elite funding, he did brilliantly.

“Andrew Randall, who also dropped out of the men’s process this weekend, is a great talent, and definitely one for the future – as he proved by winning the silver medal in the National Series Grand Final last September. I hope he takes positives out of this, and asserts himself as a contender for the Rio Games in 2016.

“Likewise, Beccy and Nicky. Beccy has shown amazing maturity for someone who’s just 16, and she is not just an outstanding talent, but has a fantastic attitude.

“For Nicky, she has done very well indeed to come so far. To change from compound to recurve and make it to the Olympic Games in such a short time was a massive challenge.

“But her attitude and determination have been first class; she’s still young, and if she wants it, there’s no reason why I can’t see her being very much in the mix between now and the Rio Games in 2016.

“So now it’s down to the final four in each – four wonderfully talented and committed archers who, if they make it, will do GB proud, and I’m sure the three days coming up later this week will be tense, but also of the highest standard.”

The British Olympic team will be formally announced at a Press Conference at Lords – where the London 2012 archery competition takes place – on 9 May.

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Archery GB
Edited by World Archery Communication