Former Georgia player Christine Essiboa defeated teammate Virginie Chenier 6-4 in the women's repeat final as Canada qualified for a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the continental qualifiers today in Medellin, Colombia.
Each country could only win a maximum of one place in the event – so the second available ticket went to third-place finisher Alondra Rivera of Puerto Rico.
“I'm very satisfied with the result. I worked really hard and competed hard with my teammate,” Rivera said. “The emotion is high for such a huge result. “I couldn't ask for more.”
This is the first place the country has qualified for the Olympics since Maria Reyes competed in Atlanta in 1996.
“Next is the Pan American Championships. Then I will keep working and hopefully continue to represent Puerto Rico abroad,” Rivera continued.
The 22-year-old also beat out her teammate for her place on the podium.
She and Nelka Cotto went to a tiebreaker, both darts landing low on the left in the eight — but Rivera's distance was measured just a millimeter from the center of the target.
“I was nervous. She's an excellent marksman too. That was enough to win,” she said afterward.
Competition continues in the Pan American Qualifiers for the Olympic Games this summer with the men's repeat stakes championship finals. Archers from El Salvador, The US Virgin Islands, Argentina, Bermuda and Cuba compete for two tickets.
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