Worth Shoots to Last 16 in Individual Tournament

Archery: Men’s Individual
Athlete: Taylor Worth

Venue: Sambodromo

WA archer Taylor Worth has qualified for the last 16 of the men’s individual archery tournament at the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning match-play rounds in the round of 32 and 16 eliminations on Day 4.

Having won team bronze on Day 1 of competition, Worth has carried his strong form into the individual competition at the Sambodromo venue.

Having qualified 14th in the ranking round, Worth was pitted against Egyptian Ahmed El Nemr in the round of 32 and had little trouble in progressing, after recording a 6-0 win.

In best of five set format, Worth won the first three to wrap up the matchplay in quick time. He shot 26 to El Nemr’s 24 in the first set before recording 27-23 and 29-24 efforts in the second and third sets to comfortably move to the round of 32.

There he met Venezuelan Elias Malave and edged a much tighter battle 6-4.

The South American claimed the opening set 28-24, before Worth bounced back to take the second 29-26. Worth pinched the third set 27-26 only to see Malave force a decider after winning the fourth set 28-27.

In dramatic scenes, Worth held his nerve best, shooting three 10s for a score of 30, but he needed everyone one of them, with Malave shooting 29 to fall a single point short of the Australian.

The Brisbane based West Aussie will now wait to learn his opponent in the 1/8 matchplay round (last 16), set to be contested on Friday evening Perth time at 8:52pm.

If Worth wins his matchplay here, he will move through to the quarter finals and take a significant step towards a second medal for Australia.