Archery’s annual international tour took athletes to Shanghai, Antalya, Salt Lake City and Berlin in 2017, as the world’s best shooters looked to secure ranking points towards qualifying for the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.
With the ranking lists settled after stage four, seven archers in each competition category – plus the top ranked mixed teams – were invited to Rome. Joined by an Italian host-nation representative at this 12th edition of the event, they’ll contest coveted Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion crowns.
All the previews
- Compound women (26 August)
- Compound men (27 August)
- Expert predictions (28 August)
- Recurve women (29 August)
- Recurve men (30 August)
- Mixed team (31 August)
Statsheet #2: Compound men
- Number of athletes: 8
- Number of nations: 7
- Defending Champion: Mike Schloesser
- World number one: Stephan Hansen
The one-to-beat
World number one, European Champion, World Games Champion and World Champion, Stephan Hansen knows how to win. Rome is his first Hyundai Archery World Cup Final – and the last major target title to add to his cabinet…
…at 22 years old.
Storyline
Almost any one of this incredible compound men’s roster could walk away with the win at the start of September. Four of them have been world number one at some point in their career – Deloche, Gellenthien, Schloesser plus current Hansen – while Elmaagacli’s peaked at two and Anderson at three.
Qualifiers
(The seed for the event is given in brackets after each athlete’s name. Statistics are from the 2017 season only; average arrow in 50-metre ranking rounds and matches, match wins at continental level and above.)
STEPHAN HANSEN, Denmark (1)
A three-time medallist on the circuit in 2017, taking gold at stage one and silvers in Salt Lake and Berlin, this Dane is still world number one two years removed from his world title win in Copenhagen. Incredibly, this is his first individual appearance at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final (he’s shot in two previous mixed team matches).
Average arrow: 9.84 / Match wins: 26-5 (84%)
STEVE ANDERSON, USA (2)
One of only three athletes in this list averaging over 9.8 points per arrow this season - along with world numbers one and two Hansen and Schloesser – Anderson had his best individual finish on the circuit in Antalya where he came second. At 29 years of age, Rome marks his debut Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.
Average arrow: 9.81 / Match wins: 13-7 (65%)
BRADEN GELLENTHIEN, USA (3)
Braden’s back for his sixth Hyundai Archery World Cup Final courtesy of bronze medal in Berlin, stage four, which saw him leapfrog teammate Reo Wilde in the rankings. The most experienced compound man in Rome, Braden has 163 matches in our database and he’s won 70% of those.
Average arrow: 9.77 / Match wins: 10-4 (71%)
MIKE SCHLOESSER, Netherlands (4)
The highest per-arrow average on the field in qualification, matchplay and overall, world number two Mister Perfect is also the defending champion at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.
The last time he didn’t finish in the top 10 at an individual competition was back in May 2014 in Medellin. That is pretty incredible.
Average arrow: 9.86 / Match wins: 14-6 (70%)
DEMIR ELMAAGACLI, Turkey (5)
Demir was Hyundai Archery World Cup Champion in 2015, winning the final in Mexico City. This season he came from seemingly-nowhere to win the fourth and final stage of the season.
The story of the scores is telling. The matches in which he was eliminated at the first three legs were with scores of 148 and 146 – and in shoot-offs. Tough breaks, and the numbers of someone in with a shot at taking his second title at the circuit-ending event.
Average arrow: 9.76 / Match wins: 15-4 (79%)
PIERRE-JULIEN DELOCHE, France (6)
PJ, after an 18-month hiatus, finished second in Shanghai. He followed that up with a top-10 in Antalya, but his last two legs finished in the second round. This is Deloche’s fourth Hyundai Archery World Cup Final and he finished second in Lausanne in 2014.
Average arrow: 9.72 / Match wins: 7-4 (64%)
ANDREAS DARUM, Denmark (7)
Though only ranked number 25 in the world and having never climbed the individual podium at an international event, Andreas pipped stage winner Chen Hsiang-Hsuan to qualification off the back of a 17th place finish in Salt Lake City.
The single ranking point that result was worth – added to 12 for sixth in Antalya and 13 from a fifth spot in Berlin – pushed him just ahead of the 25 received for winning a leg of the tour.
Average arrow: 9.71 / Match wins: 8-3 (73%)
FEDERICO PAGNONI, Italy (8)
Pagnoni is a multiple international medallist with the compound men’s team from Italy. At his first Hyundai Archery World Cup Final, on home soil in Rome representing the host country, he’ll be guaranteed his highest individual placing at a world event.
Average arrow: 9.63 / Match wins: 1-3 (25%)
The gold final?
The prediction: Schloesser / Anderson
This one’s decided on season-long arrow averages in matchplay only – from our database…
- Quarterfinals: Anderson bt Darum, Gellenthien bt Deloche, Schloesser bt Elmaagacli, Hansen bt Pagnoni
- Semifinals: Anderson bt Gellenthien, Schloesser bt Hansen
- Finals: bronze – Hansen bt Gellenthien; gold – Schloesser bt Anderson
Of course, it won’t work out this way in real life – and this compound men’s eight-archer line-up might be the best yet at a Hyundai Archery World Cup Final. (A Gellenthien-Elmaagacli gold medal match?)
Advantage: Schloesser
The 2017 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final takes place on 2/3 September in Rome, Italy.
