Final round of U.S. Olympic archery trials to be held at Ben Avery

The nation’s finest archers will take center stage when the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Arizona State Archery Association host the third (and final) selection round for the U.S. Olympic Archery Team on May 1-4 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix.

Eight male and eight female archers will vie for the three remaining men’s spots and two women’s spots on the U.S. team that will compete at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China this summer. The competitors will register and practice on May 1. The 70-meter ranking rounds will be held on May 2, single-elimination match play on May 3, and round-robin competition on May 4. Scores will be tabulated and team selection announced on May 4.

Previous selection rounds were held in September 2007 in Conyers, Ga., and last month in Chula Vista, Calif. The combined ranking points from all three events will determine the final standings for the U.S. Olympic Team.

The public is invited to visit the Ben Avery Shooting Facility FITA range to watch this amazing event. Spectators are advised to bring their optics and to check-in at the information booth for an event program. Souvenir team photos will be available for children.

The Ben Avery Shooting Facility is located at the northwest corner of I-17 and Carefree Highway. To get to the FITA archery range, take I-17 to the Carefree Highway exit (Exit 223) and go 1.5 miles west on Carefree Highway to the stoplight at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s headquarters building. Turn right and follow the signs to the archery event.

Information on the event will be updated daily at: http://www.azgfd.gov/i_e/archery/OlympicArcheryTrials.shtml.

For event information, please contact Denise Raum, Statewide Archery and Bow Hunting Coordinator, at draum@azgfd.gov or (623) 236-7567.