(Montreal) Now that Canada is assured of being represented in the recurve bow at the Paris Olympic Games, the pressure is less on the shoulders of Virginie Chénier, in a good position to be part of the maple leaf delegation this summer.
The Laval native won a silver medal in the continental qualifications which took place in Medellín, Colombia. The top two countries earned a place in the Olympic Games at the end of this competition. The Canadian team’s objective was achieved as soon as Chénier defeated Cuban Larissa Pagan in the quarter-finals.
Canada and Puerto Rico were then the only two countries represented in the final four and they were therefore assured of a ticket to Paris.
Victorious by a score of 6-2 against the Puerto Rican Alondra Rivera in the semi-final, Chénier lost 6-4 to her compatriot Kristine Esebua in the grand final.
“It was a great experience, it doesn’t often happen to see two Canadians in the final like that. We take advantage of it every time it presents itself, Virginie Chénier admitted to Sportcom. The first place was very close, it was decided on the last arrow, but the second still brings me a lot of points too (in the qualification process). »
Nothing is confirmed as to which athlete will inherit the Olympic place that materialized in Colombia. The Quebecer doesn’t want to take anything for granted either. The fact remains that if the Olympic qualification process ended today, it is she who would wear the colors of the maple leaf in the City of Lights.
Originally from Georgia, Kristine Esebua has competed in four Olympic Games during her career. She immigrated to Canada in 2019 and does not have Canadian citizenship, which means she is not eligible for the Paris Games. For her part, Ontarian Stephanie Barrett, who took part in the Tokyo Olympic Games, is considerably behind Chénier in the national rankings, where athletes have been amassing points since the 2023 worlds.
The Pan American Championships followed the Continental Qualifiers in Colombia. Virginie Chénier won a bronze medal and accumulated important points in the Olympic qualification process. Barrett ranked 15e.
“We also had the chance to get a place as a team, but we didn’t succeed,” said Chénier, who had never shot for an individual medal at a Pan American Championships.
The trio she formed with Esebua and Barrett took fourth place in the team event. The Americans won gold and confirmed their presence in Paris. Chénier still received a second bronze medal in Medellín, this time in the mixed event with Eric Peters.
“In the individual event, we all wanted to finish as high as possible. Canada is qualified and that takes a weight off, but I want to continue to get as many points as possible to increase my lead. I continue training in this direction. »
Canadian archers are scheduled to take part in the World Cup in Yecheon, South Korea, at the end of May. A last chance tournament will then be played in Turkey in June to try to qualify the country for the team event.
reference: www.lapresse.ca