25 June 2009

Nicky Hunt, the Be Number 1 compound archer, has expressed her relief after it was confirmed that she will be going to Shanghai to compete in the fourth and final leg of this year’s World Cup tournament.

It had been feared that funding issues could preclude the Ipswich archer - who is, as of this month, the official British No 1 and the world No 6 - from participating in China, where a top-six finish would probably be sufficient to ensure her qualification for September’s prestigious World Cup final in Copenhagen.

But Archery UK have announced that Hunt, who created history last month by becoming the first British archer to claim victory in an individual World Cup event, will be given her rightful shot at glory. She is the only British compound archer who will be competing in Shanghai, although all of the six British recurve archers – three men and three women - who took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics will also be going.

“Having already been told to take the time off work, I was certainly hopeful of being given the green light to compete in China,” said Hunt. “But it is great to get the confirmation nonetheless.”

The Ipswich archer lies in fifth place in the overall World Cup standings, just a point behind Jamie van Natta in fourth spot and 11 behind Olga Bosch and Ivana Buden, the joint leaders. But with only the three best results over the four legs counting towards qualification, Hunt has an outstanding chance of gaining the overall top-four place that is necessary to qualify for Copenhagen. The Briton has participated in only two of the first three events whereas the four women ahead of her in the standings have participated in all three. (British compounders did not compete in the first event of the series, which was held in the Dominican Republic in April, because of a lack of funding).

Archery UK have also announced that they will be taking six compound archers – three men and three women, including Hunt – to this year’s FITA World Championships, which take place in Korea from August 31 to September 9. The same six recurve archers who will compete in Shanghai will also be heading to Korea.

“It is really excellent news that there will be six British compound archers at the World Championships,” said Hunt, who made sure of her place by comfortably winning the selection tournament last weekend.

“There were fears that there were only going to be three of us in total. But now they can take all six, it will mean that it will be the first time we have shot as a team this year at an outdoor event.”

This is a women’s team, lest it be forgotten, that won a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in March, as well as finishing first, second and fourth in the three World Cup events in which they took part last year. Hunt, Nichola Simpson and Rikki Bingham comprise the three-woman team for Korea.

"This is a really strong squad, and I have no doubt that we will be very competitive in Korea," said Archery GB performance director Sara Symington of the compound and recurve teams.

"We've got a busy summer ahead of us, and if our archers keep performing to the standard they have been so far this year, then we will definitely be competing for medals.”