VALEEVA Wins 5th Individual Title, WILDE 3rd

VALEEVA Wins 5th Individual Title, WILDE 3rd Las Vegas (USA) – 9 February 2012   The individual finals for the gold and bronze medals in the junior and senior categories took place on Thursday at the Indoor World Championships in Vegas. Natalia VALEEVA (ITA) won her fifth individual indoor title, and Reo WILDE (USA) the third. The champions had the honour to receive their medals from the hands of the great tennis champion Andre AGASSI (USA).    Recurve Men   Gold Medal – Jake KAMINSKI (USA/5) v Marco GALIAZZO (ITA/7) Jake KAMINSKI made sensation when he defeated teammate Brady ELLISON to advance to this final. It is his first Indoor World Championships. GALIAZZO was indoor world junior champion back in 2001, and team champion in 2003 and 2005. He has won the Olympic Games in 2004 and the World Cup Final in 2009, but he’s still missing an individual indoor title.   Jake KAMINSKI had the best start with a perfect 30 to lead 2-0. However GALIAZZO came back to take the second set 30-29 and tie at 2-2. Both archers shot 9-10-10 in the third and fourth sets, the score moved to 3-3 and 4-4. The target faces were changed before the final set. KAMINSKI shot 10-8-10, while GALIAZZO did 10-9-9. In the shoot-off, KAMINSKI shot a 9. GALIAZZO didn’t falter under pressure and released a 10: gold medal for the Italian.   KIM Soo-Nyung: The Italian has lots of experience. Maybe he lost his concentration and thought he would win after seeing KAMINSKI shoot an 8 in the fifth set.   Bronze Medal – Brady ELLISON (USA/1) v Heribert DORNHOFER (AUT/14) As No 1 of the World Ranking and winner of the qualifications, Brady ELLISON is the big favourite in this final. He is also an indoor team world champion from 2009. Heribert DORNHOFER is a surprise finalist – it is not his first Indoor Worlds but it is his first shot at a medal at the world level.   It's the first encounter between the two archers. ELLISON left no chance to his opponent, shooting nine 10s in a row for a victory 6-0.   KIM Soo-Nyung: No comment! Brady is always very brave.   Recurve Women   Gold Medal – Natalia VALEEVA (ITA/7) v Miranda LEEK (USA/7) Natalia VALEEVA became indoor world champion back in 1992. She was silver medallist at the last Indoor World Championships in 2009, as well as team champion. Her opponent Miranda LEEK is competing in her first Indoor World Championships, at age 18. Miranda LEEK has defeated VALEEVA on their only previous encounter, 6-4 at the London Archery Classic in 2011. Today, the young American took the first set 9-10-10 to 9-9-10. The archers tied in the second set, 29-29. The score was 3-1 for LEEK. VALEEVA was perfect in the third set (30) to come back at 3-3. The score moved to 4-4 after both archers shot 29 points in the fourth end. The final set was very close. VALEEVA shot 10-9-10, and LEEK 10-9-9, the last arrow being just outside of the 10 ring. Gold medal for VALEEVA, 20 years after her first indoor world title!   KIM Soo-Nyung: Natalia VALEEVA is a very good and experienced competitor. She didn’t let the loss of the first set bother her. Miranda LEEK lost this match for millimetres. Her last arrow was really close to the 10 ring. VALEEVA’s first arrow of the last set was also very close, but it just touched the 10 line.   Bronze Medal – Ksenia PEROVA (RUS/1) v Naomi FOLKARD (GBR/11) PEROVA has already medalled at the previous Indoor Worlds in 2009 – a bronze with her team. She has already won medals in the World Cup circuit and it’s not a major surprise to see her in the bronze medal final, as she was the best archer in qualifications. As for Naomi FOLKARD – it’s her second final for bronze at a World Indoor Championships - she was 4th individually in 2007. These athletes have met once in the past: in the 1/16 elimination round at the Turin World Championships in 2011, PEROVA had won 6-0. This time she won the first two sets, 10-9-10 to 9-9-10 and 10-10-9 to 8-8-9, to lead 4-0. The Russian archer concluded with 10-10-10 to take the bronze medal.   KIM Soo-Nyung: The decisive moment in this match was when PEROVA won the first set on her third arrow, a 10 liner. This is what made the difference.   Compound Men   Gold Medal – Jimmy BUTTS (USA/9) v Reo WILDE (USA/3) This gold medal final features two archers who have both won double gold medals (team and individual) at an Indoor World Championships. Jimmy BUTTS in Havana in 1999, competing at the time on the same team as Dee WILDE, father or Reo. BUTTS hasn’t been very active on the international circuit since. Reo was world indoor team and individual champion in 2003 in Nimes and 2005 in Aalborg (he also won a third team title in 2007).   Reo WILDE took the first set (9-10-10 to 9-10-9), and both archers shot perfect scores in the second set. WILDE led 3-1 and easily won the third set 30-28 (5-3). The fourth set started with two 10s from both archers. BUTTS concluded with a 10 but Reo shot “only” a 9. WILDE recovered in the fifth set with 10-10-10, against 9-10-10 to BUTTS. It’s a new double victory for WILDE, after 2003 and 2005.   KIM Soo-Nyung: It is my first Indoor World Championships. I have never seen this before. Reo WILDE is absolutely perfect!   Bronze Medal – Guillaume RUBBEN (FRA/21) v Julio Ricardo FIERRO (MEX/23) It’s the first World Championships for the French archer. The Mexican (who turns 22 on the 12th of February) was the 2010 Panamerican champion and competes in his first Indoor Worlds. Here in Vegas, FIERRO won the first set and RUBBEN the second to tie at 2-2. The third set was tied at 29-29, 3-3. FIERRO won the fourth set 28-27 to lead 5-3, and gained one more point in the fifth set, which was tied. Victory 6-4 and bronze medal for the Mexican.   KIM Soo-Nyung: In this match several arrows were really close to the line, either just inside or just outside of the 10 ring.    Compound Women   Gold Medal – Inge VAN CASPEL (NED/13) v Viktoria BALZHANOVA (RUS/23) Both finalists are competing in their first Indoor World Championships. PEROVA is the 2010 European outdoor champion. The 20-year-old VAN CASPEL has the experience of the Youth World Championships (she was junior world champion in 2009 and runner-up in 2011), but it’s her first senior worlds and her first final at this level.   BALZHANOVA took the first two sets, 29-28, to lead 4-0. VAN CASPEL came back in the third set (29 to 28) to trail 2-4. The fourth set was a tie at 29-29. The Russian archer led 5-3. Both women shot 29 in the decisive set. Victory 6-4 for BALZHANOVA who is the new world champion.   KIM Soo-Nyung: BALZHANOVA managed to shoot well and was lucky to win despite not shooting any perfect set of 30.   Bronze Medal – Christie COLIN (USA/1) v Linda OCHOA (MEX/6) The American archer was team champion and 9th individually at the Indoor Worlds in 2007. She is back after missing the 2009 Indoor Worlds when she was pregnant with her second son. Linda OCHOA is competing in her first Indoor Worlds.   COLIN took the first set, 9-10-10 to 9-9-10. OCHOA came back at 2-2. She outscored her opponent 10-10-9 to 10-9-9 to take the lead 4-2. Both archers went on to shoot a perfect end – 10-10-10 – to move the score to 5-3. The fifth set ended in a tie at 29-29. Victory 6-4 and bronze medal for Linda OCHOA.   KIM Soo-Nyung: Both archers lost their concentration at some point. Two of their 9s were very far from the 10 ring.   Recurve Junior Men   Gold Medal – Sjef VAN DEN BERG (NED/5) v Luca MARAN (ITA/6) The 16-year-old Sjet VAN DEN BERG has the experience of the Cadet World Championships (he placed 9th in 2011). Luca MARAN has won two team silver medals at the Cadet World Championships (2008 and 2009).   The Italian had the best start, 30 to 29, to lead 2-0. However the scores of the second set were inverted, and his Dutch opponent came back at 2-2. The score moved to 3-3 after both archers shot 29 points in the third set. MARAN won the fourth set 9-10-10 to 9-10-9. But VAN DEN BERG won the fifth set 30 to 29 to force a shoot-off. Both archers shot a 10, with MARAN’s being slightly closer to the centre. Victory 6-5 and gold medal for the Italian.   Today we had the four-time Olympic champion from Korea KIM Soo-Nyung give us her commentaries: This major tournament is a good experience for these boys. They displayed great shooting and the first shoot-off of the day.   Recurve Junior Women   Gold Medal – Anastasia PAVLOVA (UKR/9) v Kristina TIMOFEEVA (RUS/2) The Ukrainian archer has already won the gold medal in the team competition here in Vegas. She is also a world team silver medallist from Legnica 2011 in the Cadet category. Her Russian opponent is world team silver medallist (Cadet in 2009 and Junior in 2011).   The first set went to TIMOFEEVA (30 to 29), and the second set ended in a draw at 28-28. The Russian archer led 3-1. TIMOFEEVA shot another perfect set to lead 5-1. Both archers then shot 29 points, victory 6-2 and gold medal for TIMOFEEVA.   KIM Soo-Nyung: PAVLOVA didn’t have any chance for victory, unfortunately, because she opened three sets with a 9. She probably thought that those sets were lost as soon as she shot those 9s. Overall the two girls shot very well.   Compound Junior Men   Gold Medal – Rheinhard LOUW (USA/5) v Bridger DEATON (USA/3) LOUW won a team bronze earlier this week. DEATON is a Cadet Team and Mixed Team champion from Legnica 2011, and he became team junior world champion here in Vegas yesterday.   Their very first encounter started with a tie at 1-1 (29-29). DEATON took the second set 28-27 to lead 3-1. Both archers increased their level in the third set. DEATON took it 30-29. Both archers shot a perfect fourth set (10-10-10), victory 6-1 and gold medal for DEATON.   KIM Soo-Nyung: The first arrow is the most important. Every archer tries to start their sets with a 10, because it gives them confidence for the next arrows.   Compound Junior Women   Gold Medal – Lexi KELLER (USA/13) v Runa GRYDELAND (NOR/3) Lexi KELLER won a team silver on Wednesday at the Indoor Worlds. Runa GRYDELAND was 9th at the 2011 Cadet World Championships. This is their first encounter.   GRYDELAND was the best in the first set (29 to 28) to take the lead 2-0. In the second set, KELLER shot her second arrow in the wrong target for a miss. GRYDELAND led 4-2. She went on to shoot a perfect third set of 30 (against 29 to the American) to win the gold medal 6-2.   KIM Soo-Nyung: Because she is a junior, KELLER was probably more nervous, hence the mistake. It’s a mistake that sometimes even the professional archers make.   World Archery Communication