Virginie Chénier and Eric Peters named to Canadian Olympic archery team
Both will be making their Olympic debuts at Paris 2024.
Virginie Chénier and Eric Peters were named to Team Canada on Friday, both set to make their Olympic debuts in the sport of archery.
Peters made Canadian history at the 2023 World Archery Championships, winning a silver medal in the men’s individual recurve event — Canada’s best-ever result in the men’s individual recurve division at the world championships. He lost in the final to reigning Olympic champion, Türkiye’s Mete Gazoz.
The podium finish secured Canada’s quota spot for the Olympics, and he will now try to add an Olympic medal to his trophy cabinet — which also includes two medals from the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, a gold in the men’s team recurve event, and a bronze in the individual competition. He also competed at Santiago 2023.
Peters finished fifth at the Archery World Cup in Antalya, Türkiye last week, earning himself a career-high world ranking of fifth.
“It feels crazy, it’s a culmination of all the work and hardship I have been through over my career,” said Peters in a press release. “While it is just one more step in my career, it’s an honour.”
Chénier has competed at the last three Pan American Games — Toronto 2015, Lima 2019, and Santiago 2023. She reached the quarterfinals in Santiago, and was Canada’s top-ranked athlete in women’s individual recurve.
She was also part of an all-Canadian final with Kristine Esebua at the Pan American Continental Qualifier in April, won by Esebua, which secured Canada’s Olympic quota spot.
“I am super excited to be named to my first Olympic team,” said Chénier in a press release. “It has been hard work and perseverance for the last decade and I feel like all of it is finally paying off. I am looking forward to wearing the maple leaf proudly and being part of such an amazing team while giving my all out on the field of play.”
Chénier and Peters will also compete together in the mixed team event at the Olympics. At the Pan American Championships in April, the duo won bronze together, defeating Argentina 6-0.
Canada has never won an Olympic medal in archery. Lucille Lemay finished fifth in the women’s individual event at Montreal 1976, while the top result in the men’s individual event was Donald Jackson’s sixth-place finish four years earlier in Munich.
Archery events in Paris will take place July 25 to August 4 at the Les Invalides venue.
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