Eric Peters upsets new world record holder Brady Ellison in Pan Am quarters

Canada’s Eric Peters beat top recurve men’s seed Brady Ellison of the USA in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. It comes just two days after Ellison shot the highest qualification score in history – 702 points.

“It’s awesome, it’s crazy, it’s the best shooting I’ve ever done,” said Eric, excited as he left the arena. “It means a lot. It means a lot to know that I can compete at that level when it means something, when it means sort of everything for the country for the Olympic spots and everything.”

Peters, the ninth seed, beat Jose Alvarez of Ecuador, 6-2, in the first round and then Mexico’s Ernesto Boardman, 7-3, in the second. That set up with the quarterfinal against new world record holder Ellison.

The 22-year-old opened the match with a 29-point set to Brady’s 28 to win the first. He shot 29 to 27 to take the second and go 4-0 up.

Brady delivered 10, nine and another 10 with his last three arrows. Eric had two 10s after two shots. He looked down, inhaled deeply and drew back. His last shot was a 10 again. He roared.

“I saw he shot another 10 leading into that, leaving me with no space to breathe and I just knew I needed to execute,” said Eric. “And it was awesome. He shot the world record. You got to beat the guy that holds the world record.”

Brady was pragmatic about the loss.

“I wouldn’t say it was a bad day today. I just started off that match not sighted in. I left the match before this shooting high, went down to the practice field and I was shooting low nine, so I just left it and when I came back here I was still shooting high,” said the world number one.

“I just wasn’t sighted in and he was and that was really the difference in that match. My first five arrows where high and then in the set that I did shoot decent, or I needed to shoot decent, I had one bad shot.”

Eric will meet Canadian teammate Crispin Duenas in the last four. Brazilian archers Bernardo Oliveira and Marcus D’Almeida will face each other in the second semifinal.

There is one Olympic place available in the recurve men’s individual competition at these Pan American Games – for the winner. We now know it will come down to a match between Canada and Brazil.

(One Olympic spot will also be awarded to the winner of the mixed team event, which has the potential to change the dynamic of the final. Read our full explanation of who can collect quota places for Tokyo 2020 in Lima.)

The archery competitions at the 2019 Pan American Games take place on 6-11 August in Lima, Peru.