Berlin 2019: Schedule, factsheet and preview

The last stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup is upon us. We’re headed to Germany for – incredibly – one of the last major open tournaments of the year. And if last season’s event in Berlin is anything to go by, it’s going to be exciting.

That’s because, with the win-and-in rule introduced at the start of 2018, we’ll likely not know who’s qualified for the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final until the very end of the competition week.

The medal matches really matter – and not just for the stage podium but on the circuit, too.

So far, the following 11 archers are qualified for the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Moscow, Russia. (Brackets indicate the stage the spot was won or if the athlete is a points qualifier.)

Up to four more stage winners will join this group in Berlin.

Each category will then be made up to seven from the highest athletes in the rankings – to a maximum of two athletes per country. The last spot in each category is given to the host of the final, which is Russia in 2019.

Factsheet: Berlin 2019

  • Venues: Maifield, next to the Olympic Stadium, (qualification and eliminations) and Anhalterplatz (finals)
  • Dates: 1-7 July 2019
  • Number of athletes: 265 from 50 countries (90 recurve men, 74 recurve women, 59 compound men, 42 compound women)
  • Where to watch: Live on World Archery’s Facebook and YouTube platforms (except USA and Indian sub-continent), Olympic Channel, NBC Olympic Channel (USA) on cable, Claro Sports (Latin America), CCTV (China), Sony (Indian sub-continent), Eleven (Chinese Taipei), Eurosport and more. Check local listings.

Schedule

  • Tuesday 2 July: Compound and recurve qualification
  • Wednesday 3 July: Early round eliminations 
  • Thursday 4 July: Individual and team eliminations
  • Friday 5 July: Mixed team eliminations
  • Saturday 6 July: Compound finals
  • Sunday 7 July: Recurve finals

Defending stage winners

These are the results from the fourth stage of the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Berlin, Germany.

Individual

Team

  • Recurve men: Chinese Taipei (not fielding full team)
  • Recurve women: Korea
  • Recurve mixed: Chinese Taipei
  • Compound men: Croatia (not fielding full team)
  • Compound women: France (not fielding full team)
  • Compound mixed: USA

5 things to know

1. Breakout party. Mete Gazoz was named recurve man and breakthrough athlete of the year in 2018. It was largely due to his performance in Berlin – where he won his first-ever stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup. Gazoz beat Lee Woo Seok to gold in a shoot-off.

His sophomore season, despite starting promisingly, hasn’t quite lived up to the hype.

Mete has been very good – but not consistently great. His best result in 2019 so far has been bronze in Antalya. The Turkish team is also without any quota places for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after two qualifying tournaments.

This is a chance for Gazoz and his teammates to get back on track.

2. The triple. It’s been four years since anyone has won three or more stages of the international circuit in the same year. Sara Lopez won compound women’s gold at all three legs held in 2016.

Newly crowned World Archery Champion Brady Ellison has won twice on the tour in 2019, in Medellin and Antalya. He’s already got more career stage wins than anybody else.

It’ll be the second time he hits three in a single season, after 2011, if he wins in Berlin.

3. Every stage winner… gets a spot at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final. That’s the rule. Except if there are more than two winners from the same country. Then it’s back to being the top two points scorers from that nation that get tickets.

If Kris Schaff wins in Berlin, he will oust Antalya victor – and reigning World Archery Champion – James Lutz, who is not competing at this last stage. Schaff already has more ranking points than Lutz.

It’s win-and-in at this fourth stage of the international tour. It’s also someone-else-wins-and-I’m-out for the rookie revelation.

4. The B Team. Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Korea and Ukraine have entered their second squads into Berlin. It’s the last major tournament of the season, after the worlds and a good chance to get up-and-coming athletes some experience.

The best bit is: if any of these ‘B Team’ archers win, they’ll secure a spot at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final, just like anyone else.

5. Ones to watch. This season has been an exciting one, with plenty of new (and old) athletes making their mark internationally. Many of those are shooting in Berlin.

Ruman Shana made history by winning bronze, Bangladesh’s first world medal, at the championships in ’s-Hertogenbosch. Belgium’s Brend Frederickx was a young and impressive runner-up in Shanghai. Lei Chien-Ying became Chinese Taipei’s first individual world champion.

And Michelle Kroppen is no longer the third member of the German team – but just as reliable as Lisa Unruh and Elena Richter, and a key reason why the squad already has a full women’s Olympic quota for Tokyo 2020.

Weather forecast

A stable week of mid-20s temperatures and a gentle mix of blue sky and light clouds is on the menu for next week in Berlin. It’ll be a welcome relief from the heatwave that most of Europe have been suffering in late June.

And good news for this venue, since the qualification field is large, open and quite exposed.

Forecast via Accuweather on 28 June.

The fourth stage of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup takes place on 1-7 July in Berlin, Germany.

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