Moscow named as host of 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final

This year’s Hyundai Archery World Cup Final is planned to take place on 6-7 September in Red Square in the centre of Moscow, it has been announced. The Russian capital joins Medellin, Shanghai, Antalya and Berlin as host cities on the international circuit in 2019.

Red Square is the latest in a long list of iconic locations for the season-ending event. Previous editions have been held in archery arenas built under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, in the Stadio dei Marmi in Rome, and the Zocalo central square in Mexico City.

Archery’s international circuit was launched in 2006 and is into its 14th season in 2019. Last year’s Hyundai Archery World Cup Final was held in Samsun, Turkey.

A major archery event has not been held in Russia since the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games. Russian athletes, however, have consistently found success on the world stage.

Ksenia Perova is the reigning World Archery Champion – and the Russian recurve women’s team finished with a silver medal at the last Olympics.

World Archery president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener said: “The Hyundai Archery World Cup Final is an event purpose-built for iconic venues. Not only is Red Square a stunning location, but it is the perfect place for Russia’s successful archers to compete on the world circuit on home soil for the first time in a long time.”

“As we close in towards the end of this Olympic cycle, we expect another increase in television exposure and public interest in the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final and we are confident that Moscow can deliver a quality event that will be necessary to fully take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Hyundai Archery World Cup circuit consists of four stages and a final in 2019.

• Stage 1: Medellin, Colombia – 22-28 April
• Stage 2: Shanghai, China – 6-12 May
• Stage 3: Antalya, Turkey – 20-26 May
• Stage 4: Berlin, Germany – 1-7 July
• Final: Moscow, Russia – 6-7 September

Competitions are held for the following categories: recurve men, recurve women, compound men and compound women. Eight athletes in each division are invited to compete at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final.

For the second year in a row, the winner of each stage receives an automatic invitation; one place is reserved for the host country; the final three places are awarded to the athletes that have the most points in the Hyundai Archery World Cup Ranking at the end of the season and are not already qualified as stage winners.

(Places are awarded to an athlete and are not transferable. A maximum of two athletes per nation per division is permitted.)

Two minor rule changes were introduced at the start of the season.

Firstly, the Longines Prize for Precision, which rewards the most consistently accurate athletes, will be based on the percentage of 10s shot rather than the number of 10s at each stage. This mitigates any disadvantage recurve archers receive if they win matches quickly. The season-long awards, for compound archers in 2019, remain based on the total number of 10s.

Secondly, the higher-seeded athlete in each match at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final will be able to choose whether they wish to shoot first or second, or on the left or right target. Their opponent will then choose the option not picked by the higher-seeded athlete.

With two stages of the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup already complete, seven athletes are confirmed for the final. Mike Schloesser, Sara Lopez, Kang Chae Young and Brady Ellison won the first event in Medellin; Braden Gellenthien, So Chaewon and Lee Woo Seok booked tickets in Shanghai.

The third stage of the international circuit takes place this week in Antalya, Turkey.

The 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final will take place on 6-7 September in Moscow, Russia.