’98 world champion leads Italian men to world record

Nineteen-ninty-eight world champion Alberto Simonelli led an Italian one-two in compound men’s open qualifying, scoring 697 at the World Archery Para Championships. It was a qualifying round that also saw Simonelli’s Italian team set a new world record.

He finished the 72-arrow round five points clear of teammate Matteo Bonacina. The pair alongside Gianpaolo Cancelli, who scored 673, set a team score of 2062 in a highly-competitive category.

The defending world champion, John Stubbs, collected the fifth seed while London 2012 silver medallist Matt Stutzman placed fourth.

It was the 48-year-old Simonelli whose impressive performance led the field.

“I felt good and shot well, but I am always looking to improve,” he said.

“This year I have trained very hard and targeted achieving 700 points. I felt strong coming into the competition and I want to win just like all the other archers here.”

The Italian didn’t quite reach his target, but was consistently at the top of the leader board as he showed the kind of form that would win him a second worlds victory. Simonelli was also silver medallist at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

One man who’ll be standing in Simonelli’s way: Bangkok 2013 winner Stubbs, who stated that although “he didn’t set the world on fire” with his first round, para archery competition has become tougher and tougher.

“The standard has grown and grown,” he said. “Not only are we being watched by the para world, but many of us are now competing in the able bodied events.”

John Stubbs sit inside the top 150 in the able bodied and open rankings and competed at the first stage of the 2015 Archery World Cup in Shanghai. He said he believes competing in open events helps the image of para archers.

“Competing in these events it gives us the presence on the field that para athletes need.”

It is a view shared by that of armless archer Matt Stutzman, who scored 690 for the ranking round and was impressed by the high standard of competition at the event.

“I realised that the field is really tight and this is probably the toughest tournament I have been to, points wise,” Stutzman explained.

Just eight points separated second placed Bonacina and the number 10 finisher, Jonathon Milne.

Stutzman continued: “We’re talking one or two points off a few places. The sport is a lot greater now, everyone is pushing everyone.”