Matches preview!

 
  Let’s look at the match brackets of the individual categories.   Recurve Men The top part of the bracket is deadly! The No. 1 seed OH Jin-Hyek (KOR) has many strong contenders in his part of the draw, as well as himself, for a place in the World Cup Final. In the second round, the first quarter of the bracket could see clashes with Juan Rene SERRANO (MEX) vs. Baljinima TSYREMPILOV (RUS), Jean Charles VALLADONT (FRA) vs. Mangal Singh CHAMPIA (IND) and Simon TERRY (GBR) vs. Romain GIROUILLE (FRA)! The winners will then shoot against each other in the next rounds! Moreover, Crispin DUENAS (CAN), Hiroshi YAMAMOTO (JPN) and Amedeo TONELLI (ITA) are in the second quarter of the draw and they will also get in each other’s way. Of all these contenders, only TERRY could afford an early defeat and still to go to the Final. All the others need a semi-final berth in Shanghai to have a chance to go to Copenhagen.   The bottom part is less populated. However, two other contenders may have to shoot against each other in the second round, Jayanta TALUKDAR (IND) and Thomas AUBERT (FRA). Now, here is an interesting story. At the World Cup Stage 1 in Santo Domingo, the 2004 Olympic champion Marco GALIAZZO (ITA) (photos) was sick and finished last during qualifications. He rose back to 4th after the matches. He then took the 2nd place in Porec, so he is currently 3rd in the World Cup ranking. GALIAZZO’s bow has not arrived in Shanghai yet and he borrowed the bow of the 1992 team Olympic champion(!) to shoot the qualifications. The Italian only managed 54th place, but he is a threat for the matches. In the first round, he shoots against No. 11 Bair BADENOV (RUS), the Olympic bronze medallist in Beijing. The winner should then clash with the 2008 Olympic Champion Viktor RUBAN (UKR)! Which one of these Olympians will make it to Copenhagen? Please read at the bottom for an answer.*   Recurve Women No clashes are foreseen before the 1/8 elimination round. However, if the favourites prevailed until then, this round will be decisive for the qualification to Copenhagen. Here are the matches that could take place: the No. 1 seed YUN Ok-Hee (KOR) vs. Victorya KOVAL (UKR), the No. 5 seed ZHAO Ling (CHN) vs. Natalia VALEEVA (ITA), the No. 3 seed Berengere SCHUH (FRA) vs. OUYANG Ruyu (CHN), Dola BANERJEE (IND) vs. Elena TONETTA (ITA), Pia Carmen LIONETTI (ITA) vs. JOO Hyun-Hung (KOR). At the beginning of the day all these ladies have a real chance to go to Copenhagen. After these matches, the losers have a big chance to stay home.   Compound Men The clash of the second round will be between the 2008 World Cup winner Dietmar TRILLUS (CAN) and Sebastien BRASSEUR (FRA). The winner may find Sergio PAGNI (ITA) blocking his way later on. The two other Frenchmen, Pierre-Julien DELOCHE and Dominique GENET will meet each other in the second round. The winner may encounter Martin DAMSBO (DEN) or Patrizio HOFER (SUI) on his way later on. The other contenders for Copenhagen may meet each other in the quarterfinals: Peter ELZINGA (NED) against Kevin TATARYIN (CAN) and Patrick COGHLAN (AUS) against Jorge JIMENEZ (ESA).    Compound Women Linda OCHOA (MEX) (photos - left, sister Almendra - right) was 2nd at the Shanghai World Cup in 2006. Thanks to her 1st place in qualifications, she will go directly to the 1/8 elimination round where she should expect to meet the no. 17 seed Olga BOSCH (VEN). The Venezuelan is currently No. 1 in the World Cup ranking. If OCHOA wins she may then meet Sofia GONGHAROVA (RUS) for a revenge of the 2006 final. Most of the contenders for the Copenhagen World Cup Final should meet in decisive quarterfinals. It will be then a do or die situation for Ivana BUDEN (CRO) and Anastasia ANASTASIO (ITA), Nicky HUNT (GBR) and Camilla SOEMOD (DEN) as well as Luzmary GUEDEZ (VEN) and Albina LOGINOVA (RUS). Of course, these ladies need first to hold their nerves to survive the first rounds.   *Only the 1992 team Olympic Champion, Juan Carlos HOLGADO (ESP), is sure to go to Copenhagen: as FITA Event Director. All the other answers will be given tomorrow on the field.   Didier MIEVILLE FITA Communication