New ranking system returns Ellison to world number one
The first edition of the Sanlida World Archery Rankings using the new calculation system, which factors in field and indoor archery events as well as outdoors, was published on Monday 3 October.
Three of the four world number ones retained their positions but one, reigning World Archery Champion Kim Woojin of Korea, was knocked down to second as former World Archery Champion Brady Ellison jumped five places back into first.
Ellison had been the recurve men’s world number one from mid-2019 until April this year.
“It feels good,” he said from the practice range at this week’s World Archery Field Championships in the USA. “I shot some good events this year, just the outdoors was a little lacking. But I’m happy to be up there again.”
Brady earned extra ranking points – and a higher position – when his results from last year’s Vegas Shoot (a win indoors) and this summer’s World Games, at which recurve archers shot the field discipline, were added to the calculation. Woojin has no field or indoor results on his record.
“I like having everything in the world ranking. It will give more importance to all disciplines in the sport and grow all aspects of it. I think having a world ranking that involves the world of archery, not just discipline, is good,” added Brady.
Compound world number ones Mike Schloesser and Ella Gibson, who are also competing at the world field this week, and Olympic Champion An San retained their number one rankings despite the calculation change.
All three will also shoot at the Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Mexico on 15-16 October.
As will Great Britain’s Bryony Pitman, the winner of this year’s season opener in Antalya and runner-up at the World Games, who moved up two places in the recurve women’s ranking to second, just one world ranking point behind An San.
Other big movers included compound man Nicolas Girard (up six spots to fifth), compound woman Amanda Mlinaric (up 15 to 10th), recurve men Florian Unruh (up five to third) and Steve Wijler (up 15 to 10th), and recurve women Lisa Barbelin (up 11 to fourth) and Deepika Kumari (up eight to sixth).
Announced last month, the new world ranking system for individuals is calculated on an archer’s best seven results split across the disciplines: four target, two indoor and one field archery.
For the first time, it is possible for archers who compete in the upcoming open-entry Indoor Archery World Series to enter the Sanlida World Archery Rankings.
