New Hyundai Archery World Cup rules approved by Executive Board

The World Archery Executive Board approved amended rules for the 2018 Hyundai Archery World Cup season during its online conference on 17 January 2018, which includes the winner of each stage of the circuit automatically qualifying for the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.

This alteration would have minimally impacted the individuals qualifying for the Final itself over recent years, but will give increased significance to the gold medal matches that are filmed and distributed to broadcasters – and make the latter stages of the season more important.

(A two-per country maximum still applies, based on ranking points.)

An adjustment to medal match procedures on the circuit sees the higher-seeded athlete choosing to shoot first or second, and the lower-seeded athlete on the left or right target. 

Only the top two seeds at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final will be pre-seeded at the top and bottom of the bracket, with the other six competitors drawn out of a hat two days prior to the event.

“World Archery is committed to innovating at its events to find new and better ways to display the sport,” said World Archery President Prof Dr Ugur Erdener.

“These changes add clearer stories to the season and make the field fairer while retaining the spirit and integrity of the competition.”

Implementation of the shoot-up format at the 2018 World Archery Field Championships in Cortina, Italy was also approved, following its successful introduction at the World Games in 2017.

World Archery will also recommend an additional compound men’s and women’s place available exclusively to para athletes is added to the World Games programme for 2021 in the interests of inclusivity.

The Executive Board approved updated budgets and expressed its pleasure at the newly-announced partnership with Errea Sport, recent confirmation that World Archery was WADA compliant and the fact that 98% of federations had now responded to the governance assessment questionnaire.

“Ensuring that our member associations confirm to principles of good governance and autonomy in sport is essential if archery is to continue to grow,” said Prof Dr Erdener.

“Only active, proactive national federations will be in a position to leverage our increasing broadcast figures, evident at the last World Archery Championships in Mexico City, and the fast-approaching opportunity for an historic fifth medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, now just two years away.”

The World Archery Executive Board will next meet after the Hyundai Archery World Cup stage in Berlin, Germany in July 2018.