MONTERREY, Mexico – Winning W1 women’s gold and recurve women’s silver at the Para Pan American Championships, Lia Coryell and Emma Rose Ravish also secured two quota places for Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
After strong performances in qualification and early match play, Coryell, Ravish and Teresa Wallace were through to today’s quarterfinal matches and each had a shot to earn a quota spot for their respective divisions.
Rio 2016 Paralympian Coryell, USA’s only W1 woman, came to Mexico with the express purpose of earning a spot for Tokyo, which she is calling her last chance to medal as an athlete after many difficult health battles. Coryell dominated qualification, coming out on top of qualification by almost 100 points, she had a clear path to gold today. With a decisive 119-89 victory over Brazil’s Rejane Candida da Silva, Coryell clinched the continental title and the quota spot for the Games.
"I spent all winter locked in a fierce battle to win the war that was destroying my body," shared Coryell. "To be honest there were days that I prayed to not wake up. I was so tired of fighting my body and MS. But I also knew I had a responsibility to my teammates as well as to all the archers that elected me to the Archery Athlete Advisory Councils. I fought to come back because these are my people and I couldn’t stand to disappoint or let them down. To have the opportunity to represent each and every one of them in Tokyo is an honor and privilege."
Rising recurve star Ravish made her debut in 2019, qualifying for the World Archery Para Championships at her first ever competition. Going on to set national records as the most successful female recurve open shooter in U.S. history, Ravish fought an uphill battle in match play in Monterrey, upsetting the 2nd seed Maria Monica Daza Guzman of Colombia in a close 6-4 semifinal match to advance to the gold final. After a strong initial lead, she finished with silver 6-2 to Brazil’s Fabiola Dergovics.
The silver finish guaranteed USA the second of two available quota spots: “Earning the slot to me means the world,” shared Ravish, “knowing that overcoming obstacles and working hard, along with the support of family, friends, faith, coaches and teammates, truly does pay off.”
Wallace finished 4th in today’s events.
The W1 and recurve women’s quota spots add to Team USA’s tally of three spots for the compound men’s open division and two for the recurve men for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. There is one final qualification tournament remaining where the U.S. will look to secure additional spots.
The process of filling these quota spots begins with the 2020 U.S. Paralympic Trials – Archery, in Newberry, Florida with the first two stages on May 1 and 2. The final nomination shoot will take place June 3 in Chula Vista, California.
Complete results from the Para Pan American Championships are available here.
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