Leading archers to compete

Press, 24 December 1986, Page 34

Leading archers to compete

PA New Plymouth Teams from Australia and Tahiti will be be among an expected 180 competitors at the national archery championships at New Plymouth from January 3-11? The standard of competition should be high with the eight archers in the crossbow competition including Tony Kemp, rated the fifteenth in the world after winning the United States championships in Ohio this year. Kemp, president of the New Zealand crossbow organisation, makes all his own equipment. His top score of 844 out of 900 in international competition is only 8 points off the world' record. Among the Australian contingent will be Paul Gavin, the all-round Australian compound champion in that country’s national championships and holder of 24 state and 18 national records. Gavin is the first person to win the target, clout and field events at a state championship. Another Australian champion who intends to join the team is Jim Larven from New South Wales. A key New Zealand archer at the event will be Auckland’s Dale Lightfoot, who competed at the Commonwealth Games and held the national archery champion title in 1985. Tahiti is sending its top woman archer, Sandra Viriamu, who has been champion of Polynesia; since 1980 and was third in the French ship in 1981. The leading New Zea-? land women are again expected to be Anne Shur-' rock (Ashburton) and Neroli Fairhall (Christchurch). Fairhall has represented New Zealand for seven years in overseas events including the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and three world championships;