Javier fails to find mark, faces No. 1 in KO duel

LONDON – Mark Javier failed to survive the numbing cold and the pressure of world-class opposition and found himself on a collision course with world No. 1 Ellison Brady of the US in the Round of 32 knockout match of the archery individual event at the Lord’s Cricket Ground here yesterday.

Javier simply could not find his range towards the end of the 72-arrow classification round and finished the morning session with 649 of a possible 720. That ranked him 55th among 64 players, putting him in a match-up with Ellison, whose 676 in a morning calm interrupted by light showers gave him a 10th place and the psychological advantage over the 31-year-old from Dumaguete.

As seasoned archers are wont to do as a matter of strategy, a place in the top 10 is all they needed to secure a Round-of-32 match against any of the last 10 finishers in the classification round.

The knockout phase will be held July 30 at the nearby cricket field of the exclusive club in downtown London

At least he had the consolation of not having to meet any of the Koreans who ripped both the team and individual Olympic marks, hinting of another sweep in the four-event men’s and women’s individual and team gold medals.

Im Dong Hyun, the half blind archer who won the 2009 world championships, shot another fascinating world and Olympic record of 699 while leading the Korean team to the team Olympic record with a combined total of 2087.

A better score might even have placed Javier in a first round match with Fil-Canadian Crispin Duenas, who finished eighth with 678. Duenas was offered to represent the Philippines in the Olympics but had to make a choice between the Philippines and his new Canadian team.

Rachel Ann Cabral was to complete her side of the 72-arrow classification round by the afternoon.

NOTES: Ellison and his American team are out to win both the individual and team gold from the favored Koreans. A win by Javier over Ellison could be the biggest upset ever in the Olympic archery competition... Ellison has been using a pink bow in support of breast cancer awareness but he will use this time, in a show of unity, the same color schemes preferred by his American team.