Antalya – The Archery Grand Slam!

Antalya – The Archery Grand Slam! Lausanne – 29 May 2009   Antalya has hosted an international archery tournament for the last 22 years, including three stages of the World Cup since 2006. Antalya has also hosted World and European Championships. In 2009, the top archers in the world will meet again in Antalya for a true grand slam of archery.   Everyone remembers the beautiful finals on the beach of Antalya last year. The archers will fight again during the whole week, from 2-7 June, for the right to shoot again on the seaside this year! They will also earn World Cup points to qualify for the World Cup Final in Copenhagen (DEN) in September. This race is truly wide open.   Recurve Men With 36 points—one 4th and one 2nd place in Santo Domingo (DOM) and Porec (CRO)—the 2004 Olympic champion Marco GALIAZZO (ITA) photo is probably the archer across all categories who has the most chances to reach the Final in Copenhagen. However, it is not a done deal yet. Many young archers are in hunt in this category: Jayanta TALUKDAR (IND), winner in Porec, and Rahul BANERJEE (IND), Crispin DUENAS (CAN), Brady ELLISON (USA), Romain GIROUILLE and Jean-Charles VALLADONT (FRA). A couple of experienced ones as well: the double Olympic medallist in 1992 Simon TERRY (GBR) and the 2007 World Cup Final winner Baljinima TSYREMPILOV (RUS). Moreover, some stars are currently further in the ranking but they have not said their last word: the 2008 Olympic champion Viktor RUBAN (UKR), the Mexican Juan Rene SERRANO and the always dangerous Koreans who are preparing their world championships at home (in Ulsan in September). Two members of their Olympic winning teams will compete in Antalya: IM Dong-Hyun and LEE Chang-Hwan. Among the many other titles in his very impressive biography, IM won the 2008 World Cup Final in Lausanne (SUI). Lastly, here are some other challengers: KIM Sky (AUS), Maxim KUNDA (BLR), Ivan DENIS (BEL), Rafal DOBROWOLSKI (POL) and the Turkish Olympian Goktug ERGIN.   Recurve Women With eight archers within eight points in the World Cup ranking, this category remains wide open. These eight archers with a small edge are: Santo Domingo winner Natalia VALEEVA (ITA), Porec winner ZHAO Ling (CHN) photo, Berengere SCHUH (FRA), Pia Carmen LIONETTI (ITA), Alison WILLIAMSON (GBR), Elena TONETTA (ITA), Susanne POSSNER (GER) and the 2007 World Cup Final winner Dola BANERJEE (IND). In fact, all archers in Antalya have still a chance to make a comeback on top of the ranking, for instance the 2008 World Cup Final winner Justyna MOSPINEK (POL), Katsiaryna TIMOFEYEVA (BLR), Nami Hayakawa (JPN) and Victoriya KOVAL (UKR). All these ladies must be somehow relieved that the best female archer of the years 2000, PARK Sung-Hyun (KOR), is enjoying her married life with her fellow Olympic medallist PARK Kyung-Mo. The Korean team in Antalya will be nevertheless impressive with three archers who were in the national team last year, namely the Olympic individual bronze medallist YUN Ok-Hee, the always smiling JOO Hyun-Jung and KWAK Ye-Ji.   Compound Men The six archers currently on top of the World Cup ranking have all participated in a World Cup Final already: the 2008 winner and 2007 world champion Dietmar TRILLUS (CAN), the 2007 winner Jorge JIMENEZ (ESA), Braden GELLENTHIEN (USA), Patrizio HOFER (SUI), Peter ELZINGA (NED) and Sergio PAGNI (ITA). After his double victory in Porec (2008 and 2009), will the Italian accomplish the same feat in Antalya and repeat on this victory from last year? He has many challengers, however: Martin DAMSBO (DEN), Roberval DOS SANTOS (BRA), Kevin TATARYN (CAN), Rigoberto HERNANDEZ (ESA), Paul TITSCHER (GER), Stephen CLIFTON (NZL), Sebastien BRASSEUR (FRA), Rodger WILLET Jr. (USA) and the superb surprise of Porec, Vladas SIGAUSKSA (LTU)photo.   Compound Women The 2008 finalist in Lausanne Ivana BUDEN (CRO) photo is on top of the ranking with 34 points but she still needs at least a semifinal place to take a decisive step forward to the Copenhagen Final (in the famous harbour district of Nyhavn). Her pursuers are in the same boat: 2008 World Cup winner Jamie VAN NATTA (USA), Olga BOSCH and Luzmary GUEDEZ (VEN), Porec winner Nicky HUNT (GBR), Andrea WEIHE (GER), Anastasia ANASTASIO and world champion Eugenia SALVI (ITA). Others have not given up yet, such as Albina LOGINOVA and Anna KAZANTSEVA (RUS), Gladys WILLEMS (BEL) and Camilla SOEMOD (DEN).   The competition will start with a FITA Round as qualifications on Wednesday 3 May!   Didier MIEVILLE FITA Communication