CLEVE Archer Larry Godfrey shot the fourth best score in the ranking round but crashed at the first hurdle in the team event with Great Britain at Lord’s.

Having ranked in eighth place on Friday, Team GB had a first-round assignment against ninth seeds Ukraine.

But despite being a close match on paper Godfrey, Simon Terry and Alan Wills went down 223-212 to Viktor Ruban, Dmytro Hrachov and Markiyan Ivashko.

The home team shot just five maximums in their 24 attempts, compared to their opponents' 11.

Great Britain were placed just ahead of their opponents in the ranking round, shooting a combined total of 1,994 to Ukraine's 1,992 but a tough contest was always likely, with 2008 Olympic champion Ruban and world number three Hrachov both in the Ukrainian team.

All three British archers hit nines with their first shot, but Terry made an early mistake when his second arrow scored just seven.

Godfrey raised a big cheer when he scored his side's first bullseye but after the first end of six shots, Ukraine had opened a four-point lead. A seven from Wills and three eights in a row to close the second end left Great Britain struggling as three 10s from six arrows put Ukraine in front by 10 at the halfway mark.

With six arrows remaining per team, the hosts needed something special to get through but Terry started with an eight. Two 10s and a closing eight from Godfrey left GB with a score 212, a score that Ukraine passed with one shot remaining.

"It's sad. I came here to win two medals and now one has gone," said British number one Godfrey.

"I thought we did everything right. We prepared right and practised well. Everything has been brilliant, apart from the match. Unfortunately that's what happens in archery sometimes.

"The Ukrainian guys got it right from the first arrow and I think it took us a long time to get adjusted. I don't understand why we were sending arrows high but I don't think we had a single arrow underneath the gold. I felt I shot great arrows, but it's one of those things. It's done, it's over."

Godfrey kick-started his individual medal bid with a personal best in the ranking round.

The world number 10 shot 72 to lay down a strong marker ahead of the individual competition.

He scored 680, finishing behind only South Korea's dominant three-man team.

Im Dong-hyun - whose 699 was the first world record of the Games - took top seeding, with Kim Bubmin's 698 leaving him second and Oh Jin-hyek's 690 good enough for third.

Godfrey was more than happy with his own score though, finishing four points in front of world number one Brady Ellison, who was left in 10th.

"I'm very happy with a personal best," he said. "The British record was on, it was in sight, and I let it go towards the end but I am happy."

"I thought I would be a bit lower than fourth.

"But this is what I've been training for - to peak and shoot as well as I can at an Olympic qualifier.

Godfrey takes on world number 127 Emdadul Haque Milon in the first elimination round this afternoon.