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Brady Ellison, Kang Chae Young, Braden Gellenthien, Alexis Ruiz end 2019 as world #1s

31 December 2019

Lausanne, Switzerland

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The USA finishes 2019 with three archers in the number one spots in the world rankings as Brady Ellison, Braden Gellenthien and Alexis Ruiz sit top alongside Korea’s Kang Chae Young.

All four are new names compared to the end-of-year list from 31 December 2018.

It marks the first time in eight years that one country holds three of the four top spots in the end-of-year world ranking. And both of those times it has been archers from the USA. Ellison, Rodger Willet Jr and Erika Jones were the number ones in the final list issued in 2011.

The World Archery Rankings are updated every two weeks and after major international events to provide an up-to-date rating of the world’s best archers.

Ranking points are awarded according to the level of the event, the average level of the participants and the time that has passed since the competition took place.

Recurve men
Brady Ellison, USA

In one of the best seasons in living memory, Brady authored victories at both the Hyundai World Archery Championships and Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in 2019. The latter was his fifth on the circuit – a joint record held with compound woman Sara Lopez.

He also broke the 72-arrow 70-metre ranking round world record with a score of 702/720 during the year.

Khairul Anuar Mohamad (up seven places to ninth) and Ruman Shana (up 50 places to 10th) made big leaps with medals at the world championships. Mauro Nespoli matched a career-high of fourth after winning the Minsk 2019 European Games.

Top 5

Brady Ellison, USA (+6)
Lee Woo Seok, Korea (-1)
Kim Woojin, Korea (-1)
Mauro Nespoli, Italy (=)
Mete Gazoz, Turkey (=)

Recurve women
Kang Chae Young, Korea

The only major international match that Kang Chae Young lost in 2019 was the final of the Hyundai World Archery Championships – and that was in a tiebreak.

Wins at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final and stages in Medellin and Shanghai have her flying high in the rankings. She’s got a huge buffer in ranking points over second-placed Tan Ya-Ting.

Olympic Champion Chang Hye Jin held the top spot in the recurve women’s world rankings at the end of 2017 and 2018 - but has now fallen to 14th.

Top 5

Kang Chae Young, Korea (+6)
Tan Ya-Ting, Chinese Taipei (+2)
Zheng Yichai, China (+62)
Tomomi Sugimoto, Japan (+34)
An San, Korea (+161)

Compound men
Braden Gellenthien, USA

Schloesser might have won the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final, Lutz was the one to claim the world title – but its consistent finisher Gellenthien who is ranked highest.

The 33-year-old medalled at three of the five Hyundai Archery World Cup events in which he competed in 2019. He took silver in Medellin, gold in Shanghai, finished fourth in Berlin and was runner-up at the 2019 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final. He also took silver at the Pan Am Games.

(Pan Am winner Roberto Hernandez was a big riser over the course of the year – up 10 places to eighth.)

It is the first time since 2012 that there have been three compound men from one country in the top five of the end-of-year world rankings.

In 2012, it was Reo Wilde, Braden Gellenthien and Roger Willet Jr of the USA.

In 2019, it is Braden Gellenthien, Kris Schaff and James Lutz of the USA.

Top 5

Braden Gellenthien, USA (+2)
Mike Schloesser, Netherlands (-1)
Kris Schaff, USA (+2)
Evren Cagiran, Turkey (+17)
James Lutz, USA (new entry)

Compound women
Alexis Ruiz, USA

The only archer to podium at all four stages of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in 2019, Ruiz’s consistency has her ahead of circuit champion Lopez and world championship finalists Pearce and Avdeeva in the rankings.

European Games Champion Toja Ellison put herself up to eighth with that gold in Minsk.

The number one at the end of 2018, Yesim Bostan, has fallen to sixth having not secured a major podium in 2019.