OLYMPIC UPDATE | JOHN DILLINGER | FIELD FITNESS
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FIELD Get ready to get outside again ISSUE 142
PLUS STEALTH STABILISERS • ASK THE EXPERTS
DigitalEdition
news feature
tokyo 2020: 460 days to go
Bow's Olympic countdown resets the clock - and finds there's a long way to go. By John Stanley.
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rom a public perspective, the choice was simple and obvious: postpone the Tokyo Olympics until 2021, in the face of global pandemic. But for everyone involved in the Olympic movement, the problems were only just beginning. Shortly before Easter, there was an alarming message from Toshiro Muto, the chief executive of Tokyo 2020, saying that the big show was still not guaranteed for next year. Perhaps he was reacting to the chaotic political reaction to the COVID-19 wave that seems to have finally hit Japan, but it was still surprisingly gloomy. “I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get [the pandemic] under control by next July or not,” Muto said on Friday 10th April. “We’re certainly not in a position to give a clear answer.” A state of emergency has recently been declared in the country, and Japan is about to officially enter a recession. We are of course firmly in uncharted territory. No Olympics in history has ever been postponed before, and the Olympics has never been larger or more complicated, against a backdrop of an ever-evolving global pandemic that is still not fully understood. Indeed, the start time of any Olympic event has apparently never moved before. The global sports calendar has collapsed, with the biggest questions over further potential waves of coronavirus, and whether a vaccine will be ready in time for July 2021 – neither of which is answerable at the moment. It’s become a cliche, but we are in totally unprecedented times – for sport, and the world.
the sporting calendar, but crucially avoid the worst of the summer heat and humidity in Japan; already casting a large potential shadow, with summer temperatures able to hit a murderous 41°C (106°F). The weather is bad enough that the marathon had already been forced to move to Sapporo following the sporting debacle in Doha last year. But in the end, the interests of the broadcasters prevailed. The networks pay billions of dollars for broadcasting rights in that summer slot when the global sports calendar is otherwise quiet, thus increasing the chances of capturing a bigger audience. It wasn’t always like this. When Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics back in 1964, they were held in October. The same thing happened in Mexico in 1968. But that was in an era where the attitude towards TV coverage was something like: “if you want to show it, please turn up with your cameras.” An exception was also made for Sydney in 2000, who held the Games in the last two weeks of September. Now, the interests of TV broadcasters are all powerful. As Neal Pilson, the former president of CBS Sports, which broadcast the Games in the USA in the 1990s put it to Reuters: “The
JULY OR BUST
After trying to put the decision off as long as possible, in the end, behind closed doors, there was enough agreement to hold it in the same July / August slot as before – with just a hint of rancour between the organising committee and the IOC. This frustrated a briefly nascent movement trying to push for either an October start or a spring Games. Both would bring logistical hurdles, and an autumn start crosses into Japan’s typhoon season. Both would also cut across some of
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Miguel Alvariño Garcia in for 2020, but out for 2021
Summer Olympics are simply of less value if held in October because of pre-existing program commitments for sports.” From a glance at the IOC’s blandly businessas-usual website, you’d think everything was just fine and dandy. You may not have noticed, with everything else going on, but the Olympic Flame was officially rekindled in Olympia in March and transported to Japan, where it is currently (and incongruously) being held in a ‘secret location’, to ensure crowds don’t gather in front of it. Several media outlets criticised Thomas Bach, the IOC president, for proceeding with this ritual bit of Olympic build-up, a demonstration of the IOC’s insistence that the show must go on against a backdrop of rising deaths all over the world. In the meantime, the Russian sports minister is claiming that the anti-doping ban being served by hundreds of Russian athletes should be overturned against the current chaos, a call that could be described as opportunistic – at best.
PAYING UP
Delaying the Games is going to cost a lot of money, and quite who is going to pay for it
Field Special
Field UK: Getting Started Where will you go from here? With Alex Tyler
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ritain is staying at home and finding new ways to pass the time. While not able to shoot, I decided I would challenge myself to watch serious, epic films (along with daily exercise, learning the piano and studying a language) and it’s fair to say, my plans haven’t lasted long. Instead, I’m taking comfort in the more, how shall I say, accessible films like the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and, each time, marvel that an elf archer can shoot multiple orcs whilst sliding down a stone staircase on a shield (I’m also jealous of his inexhaustible supply of arrows). If scenes like this have inspired you to try field archery, here’s what you can do to be prepared for when we can get back out to the woods. For an absolute beginner, the easiest place to start is a have-a-go or beginners’ class, to give you a chance to try out the different approaches and types of equipment before spending money. To identify your nearest club, the major archery societies operating in
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the UK have maps on their websites. For your first taste of archery the experience is likely to be similar, regardless of whether the club is affiliated to Archery GB (primarily target archery) or one of the dedicated field archery societies (National Field Archery Society or English Field Archery Association). You will get the chance to shoot some arrows, a look at the types of bow available and an introduction to a typical shoot. If you decide to continue with archery, then here are some factors you may want to consider. The first step is join society as this means you will be covered by the society’s insurance and can enter shoots. Joining a club then gives you access to both the club’s facilities and the experience of member, which can be invaluable when starting out.
What are the options? There are three societies promoting field archery in the UK. All allow you to use a wide
The initial expenditure required to take up archery can seem daunting
Field Special
Lina björklund (Sweden)
Barebow Field: starting out Victoria Williams can get you started
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here is always a lot more to barebow archery than meets the eye. To score well at field archery with a barebow it’s not, as some might say, a matter of pointing in the right direction and hoping for the best. The World Archery definition of the barebow classification includes no draw check or clicker, no sight and no stabilisation rods. (Some other organisations, especially in the USA, do things a little differently). Everything that can be used to assist the archer in making a good shot must fit through a 12cm ring when attached to the riser. To score well, both the bow set up and the archer must be optimally prepared. As with almost any form of archery, time spent working solely on form is time wellinvested. Without the assistive aspects of an olympic recurve or compound bow the archer is very much reliant on their own ability to shoot a good shot. With barebow, there’s
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nowhere to hide, but there is a lot you can do to ensure you get the most out of yourself and your bow.
What does it take to be a good barebow field archer? You will need to shoot well over all distances, therefore it’s a good idea to tune your bow to the middle of your distance range. A rough bow tune would involve a neutral tiller, using the manufacturers recommended bracing height, making sure the limbs are in alignment and setting the centre shot just left of centre for a right-handed archer. The nocking point will need to be slightly higher than an Olympic recurve set up to counteract string walking. Choose your arrow spine according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Once you are used to how the bow shoots and what it does at each distance, then you will need to fine tune it by adjusting the centre shot, by adding
or decreasing twists to the sting, by adjusting the pressure button and adjusting the nocking point height to assist with any discrepancies in your shot. Barebow shooters will need to spend even more time becoming aware of the finer details of tuning than most archers.
Working the distances Once you’ve got your well-tuned set up, your sight marks and you know how to judge distance (which is an article in itself) you’ll be ready to tackle uneven terrain. On the slopes you will need to be able to keep your T-form and accurate draw by bending from the waist, rather than raising or lowering your bow arm. It's worth working specifically on this technique. Additionally, due to uneven ground you may need to use a wider or narrower stance to form a solid base to shoot from. This takes practice and you may need to work on any physical restrictions or strength issues
NEWS Interview
interview
Interview: John Dillinger
The USA barebow archer is on fire this year. He talked to Mimi Landström
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fter an incredible start to 2020, taking first place at the Lancaster Classic and The Vegas Shoot – achieving two of his biggest dreams – John Dillinger was ready and excited for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, like the rest of the archery world, John has had to put his competition season on hold because of COVID-19. While 2020 hasn’t quite been the year that anyone expected, with tournaments cancelled around the World and no international outdoor circuit, but John isn’t letting that get him down. Barebow has officially been recognised by World Archery with world records being fully recognised, and is building a bigger following year on year. The camaraderie within barebow stems from all wanting the same outcome: fun. Despite
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training and competing at elite levels, barebow archers know that perfect scores will not come with the bowstyle, so there is less pressure for perfection and more enjoyment. We caught up with John Dillinger, to learn more about his archery career and get an insight into what it's like being an elite-level barebow archer.
Tell us about your 2020 "I was very excited heading into the 2020 archery season. Last summer I signed a factory pro staff contract with Hoyt Archery, which has always been a dream of mine since I was young. Signing with a big company like Hoyt created some self-imposed expectations, and that really motivated me to train hard over the past six months. The Lancaster Classic kicked off the indoor season and is by far the biggest indoor
tournament of the year for us. Rob Kaufhold really supports barebow and puts on a heck of a show for the world to see. It’s the biggest stage in the world for our division and is really important to the barebow community. I was lucky enough to win this year, which is another dream of mine. After my performance there it really validated my status as a good shooter who can shoot well under pressure. The Vegas Shoot is the second most important indoor event [after Lancaster], in my opinion. This was the second year that we had a World Archery rules barebow division, and it has grown tremendously. It was very exciting to have 220 barebow recurves show up to support the class. Vegas can be a grueling three-day grind, because there are no elimination matches and every arrow matters. The pressure there is real and staying consistent
LISA UNRUH
What the Olympic silver medallist, five times World Champion and World Games champion is packing these days
RISER: Hoyt Xceed LIMBS: Hoyt Velos in long (38lbs, 37 on the fingers)
SIGHT: Shibuya Ultima SIGHT PIN: Spigarelli CLICKER: Beiter / TEC-HRO STABILISERS: Shrewd RevX. Longrod is 28" with 10oz. Short rods are 14" with 3oz each. "Sorry I don't know the angle... but it's definitely low. My aiming is best with this set up." GRIP: Wood, custom made by a friend of mine (Lars Dorfner from Archery Zone).
STRING: BCY 8125, 19 strands TAB: Elite Tab in medium. Soma spacer. "I modified the whole plate and trimmed the leather. "
ARROWS: Easton X10, 550 spine, Spin Wings, TopHat 120gn points, Beiter 4.5/1 out nocks
SCOPE: Vortex SHOES: Reebok CrossFit. "They have a flat sole and are the best I've tested so far." Lisa Unruh is funded by Top Team. Thanks to Deutsche Sporthilfe (@ sporthilfe) for the pic. Also thanks to Ferah Noor.
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Field Special
Field Fitness: making the difference Lucy O'Sullivan won a Pro Series field event at the first try. How did she do it?
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s many of you may know, I am a target archer through and through. I was however lucky to get a chance to shoot the Pro Series, at the last shoot they did in Wales at the end of 2018. The Pro Series was an "unofficial World Cup of field archery" for compound archers run by Alternative Sporting Services – unfortunately they had to stop holding it last year, but it might be back. The last edition of the year, it was held in an old mine in Wales so there were woods, cliff edges and fields. I'd shot a marked round in Jersey before – but nothing quite like this. It was my debut into shooting in the woods. I very luckily had my good friend, Simon Froggatt, coaching me through the course and teaching me to trust my range finder. I kept it so simple – essentially all I did was use the
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finder, no fancy gimmicks or trying to work out cuts, and just trust in my equipment. What came next was a shock to all – I won! But how can a target archer with no idea about cuts, or bubble shooting or distancing measuring, win? I put it down to both cardiovascular strength and physical strength. The more body aware you are the easier it is for you to make the tough shots on a course like that. At the end of the day the middle of the target is the middle, you are not aiming at anything else, your sight picture stays the same, so what changes is the angles of your body, where you place your feet, and other factors like the lean of your spine. I’m not going to lie, walking around an old mine in Wales was the hardest physical
A tricky hillside shot requires careful foot placement
Equipment
At a glance GK Archery Stealth Stabiliser system Material: Premium carbon Colour options: Matt and gloss black available Price: from £280 for the longrod Longrod available in 26, 27, 28 and 30 inches Side rods available in 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 inches A top-end system at a top end price. You'll probably know if it will work for you. Availability: Available from archery dealers now
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GK Archery Stealth Stabiliser
Different, advanced... and expensive. Bow investigates.
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he Stealth Stabliser system is a product from GK Archery, based in South Korea. It aims to solve a particular problem: the v-bar. I have long personally found many v-bars to be an issue, both in set up and use, and GK claim that the usual connection increases vibration unacceptably. Things can also both work loose and jam on tight, without any warning either way. So GK have done away with the v-bar and the extender, adjustable or not, in favour of a single longrod piece with bushings set at either a 40 or 45 degree angle on the same plane as the longrod. This reduces the weight enormously, allowing you to put more on the bow as you need to. Several lengths of extension are available. The other key feature – and the one that gets me excited – is that the Stealth system uses a custom connector which you can orientate to screw on at exactly the right angle
each time. You start by screwing to a regular riser bushing a mounting bolt, which is tightened using the rather serious spanner provided. You then screw on a binding nut, and tighten that with the intriguing hook spanner, also provided. Then you connect the stabiliser, screw that on, then loosen the binding nut, align the longrod to a flat position, and tighten again. It is very slightly trickier than it looks, but with luck, you shouldn't have to do it very often – possibly only once. It feels rock solid once on. The rest of the stabiliser is relatively conventional. The short rods screw into the regular-size bushings as normal. A larger-thannormal set of weights is provided, but you can use your own, and add any dampers you want. It's made, like most decent stabilisers these days, out of high-end carbon. The unit they supplied for test had a matt carbon weave finish, the pics you can see on this page show the glossier finish. The bushings and finish are very nice indeed and feel very solid, as you would expect at this level. Both long and short rods come with their own custom soft cases. GK claim increased strength from the carbon ridge at the riser end, and it certainly feels like it. Despite the use of sound graphs, it is notoriously difficult to compare stabilisers like-for-like, as setups are so personal. So when testing I shot with my regular Win & Win HMC set for a while, and tried to take a 'memory' of the feeling. Then I installed the Stealth as fast as possible and shot with it. It compared easily as well to the HMC for vibration, and felt grounded and 'dead' enough, even without the longer extension I like. But that's how I like things to feel; other people prefer different feedback. As should be obvious, the
9000
Equipment
Wifler Industries MP-One The most expensive recurve button you can buy. Is it worth it?
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he Wifler Industries MP-One is a plunger like no other, developed by US archer Alex Wifler and one of just two products presently sold by his company. All other buttons on the market work in pretty much the same way; a spring pushes against the tip, and a rotating barrel pushes against the spring. This goes for the cheapest Chinese copies and the reference 'standard' Beiter button used by the majority of top archers. You are paying for improved parts, machining and tolerances. I still like my Beiter button, but the proprietary plastic spanner required to get it on and off the riser drives me nuts, frankly. AAE also produce a button
At a glance Wifler Industries MP-One What they say: "The MP-ONE's dynamic nonlinear response creates the most forgiving and consistent plunger on the market." What we say: It's well nice. Material: Aluminium Colour options: red, blue, black, purple Price: 139 USD Availability: Available from wiflerindustries.com and Lancaster
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used by many top archers, and the Shibuya DX is a well-regarded standard which will deliver results at almost any level. But all buttons use the same technology: springs, which are developed to certain tolerances but have various issues that mean they do not last forever. The MP One looks similar to most plungers, but uses opposing rare earth magnets, driven together in an aluminium barrel. Apart from the barrel, it has no moving parts. The barrel and locking collar are locked down with two hex bolts, pleasingly a size larger than the size used on both Beiter and Shibuya buttons, in which meaningful tightening always feels like you're going to
break something. The plunger tip is made from aluminium. Wifler claims that rain and temperature have less of an effect than traditional plungers, and that the machined barrel has 48 micro adjustments per turn, making it the most 'adjustable' available if you are a serious micro-tweaker. Tuning should be similar, and they claim it should be easier to get the bare and fletched arrows going to the same place. I certainly had no problems at all moving arrows around the boss with it. Apparently developed after playing about with magnetised 'Bucky balls', it took Wifler three years to get a prototype working and a total of five years to finally bring the MP One to market. It is available either through his website (wiflerindustries.com) or Lancaster Archery in the USA. It is not yet being sold through a European dealer, although that may change in the future. It has a small retinue of pro users at the moment including GBR's Bryony Pitman and the USA's Jack Williams, and is available in red, blue, black and a vibrant purple that would make Prince proud. The simplicity of the button and the technology involved are intriguing, you can't help but press and feel the resistance of the magnets working against each other. On the riser, it looks and feels solid, sitting tight - and shorter than most other buttons. The price reflects the boutique nature of production. Can it ever displace Beiter from the long-held button top spot? The answer may like in extensive testing carried out by an international team somewhere, and long-term durability. Me, I'm going to leave it here for a while and see if it can work any more magic.