Archery
Folkard on target for third Olympics

LEAMINGTON archer Naomi Folkard maintained her sparkling form in the third and final stage of the Olympic selection process, which was completed at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre on Saturday.

The archers who took the top two places in the women’s event - Amy Oliver and Naomi Folkard - can now start planning for the Olympic Games.

Of the seven lady archers who started in the selection process on March 31, three had been eliminated in the opening two stages and the remaining four shot round robin head-to-head matches on each of the three days of stage three.

Folkard entered the fray in second place behind GB teammate Amy Oliver, but ahead of long time colleagues Alison Williamson, who is hoping to shoot in her sixth Olympic Games, and Charlotte Burgess, both of whom had been with Folkard in Beijing four years ago.

Folkard maintained her second place throughout the three days, winning seven of her nine matches, one more than Oliver and four more than Williamson and Burgess.

Folkard declared herself happy with her form, which had withstood strong blustery and very cold winds, near horizontal rain, and on the last day a terrific hailstorm. From time to time there was also some very welcome, but short lived sunshine.

The make-up of the team will be formally announced at a British Olympic Association press conference at Lords on May 9.

The third place is at the discretion of Archery GB’s performance director Sarah Symington and head coach Lloyd Brown.

Regional sport »