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The Australian Para-archery team has kicked off their Paris campaign with commendable performances in the ranking rounds.
The six-member team demonstrated skill and resilience as they set the stage for the upcoming elimination rounds.
In the men’s compound open category, Jonathon Milne led the Australian contingent by securing 10th place with an impressive score of 693. His teammate, Patrick French, finished 21st with a score of 684.
In the women’s compound open, Ameera Lee celebrated a personal milestone by achieving a personal best (PB) score of 649, earning her 22nd place.
“My ultimate goal was to come here and follow my process, so I am really happy with my result,” she said.
Despite her satisfaction with the PB, she acknowledged the competitive nature of the Paralympics adding, “the Paralympics is a high-pressure scenario, but I was quite comfortable and collected”.
Melissa-Anne Tanner also represented Australia in the women’s compound open, finishing just behind Lee in 23rd place with a score of 646.
In the Women’s Recurve Open, Amanda Jennings achieved 16th place with a score of 531.
In the Men’s Recurve Open, Taymon Kenton-Smith ranked 23rd with a score of 596. Despite his result, Kenton-Smith expressed a mix of determination and optimism.
“I thought I should have done better given my training and preparation,” he said.
“I did everything I could, but sometimes in high-performance sport, that’s exactly how it works.”
Ever the optimist, Kenton-Smith emphasised that medals are not won in the ranking rounds but in the head-to-head competitions.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence and strength in the Australian archery team, and I have full confidence we are going to shoot really well.”
As the ranking rounds conclude, the focus now shifts to the head-to-head matchups in the 1/16 Elimination Rounds.
Watch the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on the 9Network and 9Now live and free, and on Stan Sport from August 28 to September 8.
By: Amanda Scott, Paralympics Australia
Published: 30 August 2024
