Michele Frangilli shot a bull’s-eye with the final arrow, giving his Italian team a one-point win over the United States in the gold medal match of the men’s archery team competition.
Italy earned its first gold medal in the event with the 219-218 decision, having taken silver behind South Korea in 2000 and ’08. The U.S. knocked off the heavily favored Koreans in the semifinals.
After I started to get some success in archery, my extended family started to take an interest in the sports even though they did not understand the rules; so they often ask me “what are the rules of archery?” The answer depends on governing body of the tournament and the specific rules will depend on many factors including bow type, type of tournament, archer age and archer sex.
There are many governing bodies such as FITA, NFAA, OAA, etc… however the primary one is World Archery Federation which was formerly known as FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l’Arc) which was formed in 1931 in Poland.
Its seven founding member states were France, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Poland, United States, Hungary, and Italy. The aim of the organization was to create regular archery championships, and to return archery to the Olympic Games (the sport had not been featured since 1920). FITA was finally successful in returning archery to the Olympic program in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
FITA began holding Target World Championships in 1931. They were held every year until 1959, when the Championships became biennial events. 1959 was also the first year that FITA held the World Field Championship. Wikipedia
Personally, I started shooting indoor target tournaments using FITA rules. I remember the first time I decided to try a field tournament, I asked my coach Larry Smith for advice and what to expect. He simply said “Jordan, shoot the X, no matter the target tournament just shoot the “X”.
If you are deciding to participate in various competitions it is important to remember, it is the responsibility of the archer to know the rules for that tournament. Most archers will not “intentionally” give you incorrect information, however if you make a mistake, like shoot the wrong target, you are the one who suffers not them, therefore you need to advocate for yourself. Even at international competitions, it is the responsibility of the archer, not the coach to know and understand the rules. Officials will often help if you politely ask a question, and are far more understanding to juniors since they are considered new to international rules.
If you are planning to participate in archery tournaments familiarize yourself with the rules of that type of tournament. Rules for various governing bodies are available on their website. Check out my Links page for shortcuts to World Archery Federation, National Field Archery Association, International Field Archery Association, Federation of Canadian Archers and Ontario Association of Archers
On Friday, Kiwanis Club of Kingston will hold its annual sport banquet and awards ceremony at the Ambassador Conference Resort. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the Kiwanis Sports Banquet that recognizes amateur athletes and teams in the Kingston area and district. Every year the banquet honors individuals, builders and teams and awards the prestigious Gus Marker Trophy to Kingston’s Amateur Athlete of the Year.
Gus Marker, last surviving member of the Montreal Maroons 1935 Stanley Cup championship team, was a long time Kiwanis member. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Maroons, Toronto Maple Leafs and Brooklyn Americans and after retiring to the Kingston area was an enthusiastic booster of amateur sport in the region.
Past winners of the Gus Marker Trophy have included boxer Mark Leduc (1992), hockey players Alyn McCauley (1996) and Jayna Hefford (1997), golfer Matt McQuillan (1999), and triathlete Simon Whitfield (2000).
This year nine finalists are in the running for the Gus Marker Trophy including Max Caron (football), Scott Harrington (hockey), Kerr Hutchinson (fencing), 2011 winner Augusta James (golf), Tyler Osborne (squash), Stephanie Rychlo (dance), Tyler Santoni (volleyball), and Alex Wright (BMX) and I was extremely humbled to be included as a finalist.
This year’s banquet will also honour two builders and three teams. Builders include longtime Church Athletic League coach Ken Ohtake and Sydenham Golden Eagles track and field/soccer coach Leslie Lawlor. Teams include the National Capital Bowl champion Frontenac Falcons football team, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport champion Queen’s Golden Gaels women’s soccer team and the Ontario Federation of Sport Athletic Associations champion Holy Cross Crusaders midget boys cross-country team.
If you are planning to be in the Kingston Area and are interested in attending the banquet, you call 544-1221 or 549-2020 for more information or tickets.
Jordan Sequillion 