March 23, 2021

USA Women Competing for Paralympic Qualification at Pan American Championships

Photo Courtesy of Mariano Rios Avila/World Archery.

MONTERREY, Mexico – The Pan American Championships offer USA archers a shot at continental titles and a chance to win up to three quota places for the Tokyo Paralympic Games this summer.

Per the updated Paralympic Qualification Procedures, the U.S. can secure a maximum of one quota place at the March 26^th qualification event in each of the following categories: W1 women, recurve women open and compound women open. Rio 2016 Paralympian Lia Coryell headlines a strong squad of Para United States Archery Team members who will fight for these spots and continental titles over the coming week of competition.

Coryell, identified by World Archery as one to watch this week, told tokyo2020.org earlier this year: “There were a few times there where I thought I was done. I‘ve been fighting this disease for 30 some years, and I’m tired. I think of the notes, the pictures and the kids and people that come up to me [in support] … and I’m like, ‘if you quit, you’re negating everything you’ve done in your lifetime’. So I’m like, all right, keep fighting. And I did.”

After a tough year battling pneumonia, heart failure and kidney failure and COVID-19, Coryell is taking a big stand towards what she is calling her last chance to medal as an athlete. Qualifying first today for the W1 women by almost 100 points over her competitor from Brazil with a 558, Coryell is poised well to earn the quota spot up for grabs.

Photo Courtesy of Mariano Rios Avila/World Archery.

Recurve women’s standout Emma Rose Ravish qualified 3^rd with a 531, also putting her in a good spot to chase one of two Paralympic quota spots for her division. A 321 put USA teammate Candice Caesar 6^th in qualification, guaranteeing the U.S. berth into the qualification tournament and Championship medal matches as she’ll face Ravish in the quarterfinals.

Photo Courtesy of Mariano Rios Avila/World Archery.

The compound women’s open division was the largest and most competitive female para category; USA’s Teresa Wallace qualified 5^th with a 623, ahead of teammates Erev King and Martha Chavez, who scored 616 and 588 to rank 7^th and 9^threspectively.

Complete results from the competition are available here. Shooting continues with preliminary matches over the next two days, followed by the qualification tournament and championship finals Friday.