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Defending champ Jackson into final four after qualifying at world 3D

06 septembre 2022

Terni, Italy

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Owl target at the World Archery 3D Championships.

Reigning barebow men’s champion David Jackson was among the archers to book a place in the semifinals after qualification concluded today at the 2022 Rinehart World Archery 3D Championships in Terni, Italy.

The top two seeds in each of the four competition categories booked slots in the final four, skipping the shoot-up eliminations that start tomorrow.

Jackson won in the Canadian resort town of Lac La Biche three years ago. After two days in Terni, he came in 22 points ahead of the home nation’s Giuseppe Seimandi – who is shooting barebow this time after finishing runner-up in the compound men’s event in 2019.

“There were a few mistakes in the range-finding but apart from that I was really consistent in my shot,” said Jackson, who highlighted the prevalence of smaller targets, which also have smaller high-scoring zones.

“I’m ranked number one so I’m into the semifinals directly – so hopefully there’s a medal at the end.”

Alongside Jackson and Seimandi, the following archers move directly into the semifinals after the first two days of competition:

Nico Wiener, Laslo Szijarto, Irene Franchini, Elisa Baldo, Cinzia Noziglia, Fawn Girard, Shiloh Butts, Alfred Muhlburger, Giulia Barbaro, Martina Noale, Jed Cullen, Klaus Grunsteidl, Claudia Weinberger and Sabrina Vannini.

The programme at the world 3D championships consists of individual and mixed team events for compound, barebow, instinctive and traditional bowstyles, plus team events that feature a country’s three highest scorers, a maximum of one per bowstyle.

Qualifying consists of two days of 24 targets – 3D foam animals of varying sizes – with two arrows shot at each target. Distances are all unmarked and the maximum score per arrow is 11.

The courses at Stronecone Meadows, nearly 1000 metres higher in altitude than the city of Terni, were tough to walk and challenging to shoot.

“It’s always difficult. Uphills, downhills, shadows,” said reigning World Archery Champion and top compound men’s qualifier Weiner, who won the event last time it was held in this region of Italy in 2015.

“My archery career began with 3D. I really love it. I love to come out and shoot these tournaments.”

As well as judging the distance to the target, archers must also choose where to hit the foam animal. A diagram of the model is provided at each shooting peg to help shooters pick an aiming point.

It’s a game of strategy, as well as accuracy, as the rings of highest value are also the riskiest.

Italy’s Guila Barbaro, who sat seventh in the longbow women’s field after the first day, took risks on day two.

She stormed up the leaderboard on what was a tougher (and longer) course, shooting a high of 344 points for the second 24 targets and claiming pole ahead of day-one leader Martina Noale of Argentina.

“I absolutely did not expect to be here,” she said after coming of the course. “I was so many points behind. But I started to believe in myself. I know how to shoot. I hate losing. I know how to do it and I did it.”

Barbaro was not the only Italian archer to perform well early on home soil.

Irene Franchini and reigning World Games Champion Cinzia Noziglia also took top individual seeds for the home nation.

“I just wanted to maintain my position in the top two because that‘s so important,” said Noziglia, who last last won this event when it was held in Terni in 2015.

“It’s so hard to keep your mind clear. You have such a lot of variables with the distance and aim, sometimes if you do something wrong you don’t know if it’s one of the other.”

Competition continues at the Rinehart World Archery 3D Championships in Terni with team finals on Wednesday.