Peters, Chénier named to Canadian Olympic line-up heading to Paris

Eric Peters and Virginie Chénier have been nominated by Archery Canada and the National Olympic Committee to make up the archery line-up for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Peters achieved a career-high world ranking of fifth on 24 June, after matching his career-best result on the circuit – fifth – at the third stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya.

“It feels crazy, it’s a culmination of all the work and hardship I have been through over my career,” the 27-year-old said to Archery Canada. “While it is just one more step in my career, it’s an honour.”

A mixed team bronze medallist from the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, Peters achieved Canada’s best ever result in the recurve men’s individual event at the world championships in Berlin 2023, where he only lost to Olympic Champion Mete Gazoz in the final to win silver.

That podium finish in Germany earned the nation one men’s ticket to the Paris Olympics, before an all-Canadian final at the continental qualification tournament in Medellin in April between teammates Chénier and Kristine Esebua added a women’s spot.

“I am super excited to be named to my first Olympic team,” said the 29-year-old Chénier. “It has been hard work and perseverance for the last decade and I feel like all of it is finally paying off.”

“I am looking forward to wearing the maple leaf proudly and being part of such an amazing team while giving my all out on the field of play.”

Peters and Chénier were mixed team bronze medallists together at the recent 2024 Pan American Championships, and they will both make their Olympic debuts when the archery competition starts on 25 July at the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris.

Canada has never won an Olympic medal in archery. The country’s best result at the Games was Lucille Lemay‘s fifth-place finish in the women’s event at Montreal 1976. The men’s top result was achieved by Donald Jackson, who placed sixth in Munich 1972.

Canadian team for the 2024 Olympics

• Recurve men: Eric Peters.
• Recuve women: Virginie Chénier.