World Games archery preview #4: Barebow women

Read the rest of our event previews:

• #1 Recurve men (18 July)
• #2 Recurve women (19 July)
• #3 Barebow men (20 July)
• #4 Barebow women (21 July)
• #5 Compound men (22 July)
• #6 Compound women (23 July)

Event: #4 Barebow women

• Number of athletes: 12
• Number of nations: 11
• Defending Champion: Lina Bjorklund
• World Champion: Chantal Porte

The one-to-beat

Defending World Games Champion Lina Bjorklund, of Sweden, is a two-time world champion. She is beatable, though, as Eleonora Strobbe – the only woman to qualify higher than her (and by 50 points) in Cali – proved in the Dublin 2016 semifinals. Strobbe’s not shooting in Wroclaw.

The story

A relatively-inexperienced barebow women’s field, with only five of the women shooting having ever won an individual medal at the world level, is ripe for the taking. Japan’s Maruyama Miyuki has possibly the best chance around of taking Asia’s first archery medal at the World Games. She finished fourth at the most recent World Archery Field Championships in Dublin. 

The athletes

MARTINA MACKOVA
Czech Republic 

Experience: International since 1981

Intel: A former recurve archer and the oldest of the barebow women’s field in Wroclaw, 54-year-old Martina came sixth in Dublin. She’ll look to improve on another sixth place, from the last edition of this event.

ANNE VILJANEN
Finland 

Experience: International medallist

Intel: The bronze medallist at the World Archery Field Championships held in Italy in 2000, Anne finished top-15 at each of the last two worlds – and seventh at the World Games in Cali in 2013.

ELIETTE LALOUER
France 

Experience: International team medallist

Intel: A silver medallist with the French team just five years ago, Eliette finished fourth individually at the World Archery Field Championships in Zagreb in 2014. She dropped to 13th in Dublin.

CHANTAL PORTE
France

Experience: World Archery Field Champion (2016), World Archery 3D Champion (2009)

Intel: The reigning world champion seeded third in Dublin before posting two strong elimination rounds and enough, through two matches, to take her first individual world title. She was the fourth-place finisher at the World Games in 2013.

JESSICA NILSSON
Great Britain 

Experience: International team medallist

Intel: Nilsson won gold with the British women’s team at her first World Archery Field Championships shooting with the seniors in 2016. The 19-year-old, who previously competed for Sweden, beat her old teammates in the final.

MANJA CONRAD
Germany 

Experience: International medallist

Intel: A world bronze medallist in 2008, in Wales, Conrad has an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of two other German barebow women – Monika Jentges and Jutta Schneider – if she can podium at these World Games.

CINZIA NOZIGLIA
Italy 

Experience: International medallist, World Archery 3D Champion

Intel: Runner-up to Bjorklund at the worlds in 2014, 32-year-old Noziglia is also the reigning World Archery 3D Champion, a title she won on home soil in 2015.

MARUYAMA MIYUKI
Japan 

Experience: International since 2016

Intel: Thirty-eight year-old Maruyama Miyuki seeded ninth in Dublin, then found herself in sixth after the first elimination – and in fourth, enough to qualify for the semis, after the second. She lost consecutive matches to Porte and Bjorklund to finish fourth overall.

MARTYNA WISNIEWSKA
Poland 

Experience: International since 2015

Intel: Poland’s foray into competitive barebow archery is fresh, and in aid of the lead-up to Wroclaw 2017, and Martyna – who finished 24th in Dublin – will make her debut at this event on home soil.

TINA GUTMAN
Slovenia 

Experience: International team medallist

Intel: The anchor of a Slovenian team that came third at Dublin 2016, Tina first shot internationally in 2011. She came seventh individually at the worlds in 2014, sixth in 2016.

LINA BJORKLUND
Sweden 

Experience: World Games Champion (2013), World Archery Field Champion (2012, 2014)

Intel: The favourite ahead of the Wroclaw event, Bjorklund lost her semifinal in Dublin by just six points – otherwise we might be writing about a three-time world crown winner. She is the returning barebow woman’s champion from Cali 2013.

JENIFER STONER
USA 

Experience: International since 2014

Intel: Jenifer started archery in 1987 but didn’t shoot internationally until 27 years later, when she finished 13th at the 2014 World Archery Field Championships in Zagreb. She improved upon that placing two years later with eighth in Dublin.

The prediction

Asia – courtesy Japan – takes its first-ever World Games medal when 38-year-old Maruyama Miyuki finishes in third, behind Lina Bjorklund and Finland’s Viljanen, 17 years after she last picked up an international field archery medal!

The barebow field archery competition at the Wroclaw 2017 World Games starts on 26 July in Szczytnicki Park.