Barbelin powers into last 16 in front of raucous crowd in Paris

Lisa Barbelin powered into the last 16 of the recurve women’s individual competition with wins over Gaby Schloesser of the Netherlands and a giant-killing performance over Yang Xiaolei of China.

No archery match before had seen crowds or noise quite like her performance at the Invalides arena; even after the French women’s team had crashed out in the first round two days ago.

With the crowd chanting her name and drumming their feet on the metal stands – which could be felt like an earthquake on the stage – Barbelin rose to the occasion, despite hitting some serious lows just days before.

“I was suffering from doubts during the team match. But I saw an amazing psychologist at the Olympic Village who helped me very much, who taught me to make the most of the moment.”

A below-par qualification had nearly ruined everything.

“During the qualification, I was so stressed. I couldn’t do what I wanted to do. The psychologist changed my mind and changed my way of being here at the Olympics. Because all I wanted to do is to be the best and win a medal, but that makes so much stress and this woman helped me to breathe. To enjoy the other parts of the Olympics.”

Fittingly, her first match would dispatch Schloesser, who was part of the Netherlands team that knocked out Barbelin’s crew on Sunday. Neither started fast, but Barbelin accelerated away with two 29s in the third and fourth sets to make the next round.

Yang, the third seed, was a tougher challenge, but did not settle on the stage. Lisa, buoyed by the crowd, did not drop out of the yellow. It was solid, and roared onwards by the French crowd, she got the job done.

“Today I feel super lucky to have had that experience,” said the 24-year-old. “The Chinese (athlete) scared me because she qualified third in the rankings. And I said to myself: ‘no, I’m going to eat her, I’m going to do it.’” 

“I arrived on the shooting line with a big smile on my face, because this public helps me to be myself and it’s in these moments that I’m the most beautiful person I think I am, and the most beautiful champion I want to become.”

The men’s team medal yesterday, a team that included Lisa’s boyfriend Thomas Chirault, was a huge step forward mentally for the French camp.

“I have a very special thought for Thomas, of course, who gave me so many emotions,“ she nodded. ”The boys were really strong, all three of them, but it’s true that seeing him with a medal around his neck, it tells me ‘wow’, we can do it together finally. And we can take the French climb to the very top.”

There’s a man behind the scenes who taught her a lot: two-time Olympian Pierre Plihon, who told her that she had to put on a show.

“He told me that in Tokyo, I remember, because I was scared to death,” recalled Lisa. “‘These people are there so that you enjoy yourself and so that you put on a show for them,’ he said to me.”

The individual eliminations continue Wednesday 31 July.