The USA’s Olympic team trials finished on 30 May at the Gator Cup in Newberry, Florida. The process began in September 2015.
USA has qualified a full team of three slots in the men’s competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but only secured one space in the women’s event. There is an opportunity to win a further two at the third stage of the 2016 Hyundai Archery World Cup in Antalya, Turkey in June.
Brady Ellison, Jake Kaminski and Zach Garrett will represent the USA as its recurve men’s team in Rio.
Mackenzie Brown has the lone recurve women’s place, and Park Hye Youn and Khatuna Lorig will join Mackenzie only if the USA recurve women qualify a team place in Antalya.
“I'm in shock and awe. I'm speechless, elated, I don't even know how to put it in words,” said Brown. “My focus now is training with the team for Turkey to ensure we have our full qualification.”
Park, the unknown in the trials, finished second. She emigrated from Korea several years ago and attained US citizenship in 2015.
If the women qualify a full women’s quota, it would send Lorig to her sixth Olympics. She remained confident.
“Having a team means having more changes to medal. For the US, it is more realistic to medal as a team than as an individual. We have a strong team and I have no doubts,” said Lorig.
Brady Ellison and Jake Kaminski made up two thirds of the USA recurve men's team that won silver at London 2012 and were excited about their prospects in Brazil.
“We have an awesome team, we have a team that has the ability to shoot better than we did in London and the Games are still a long way away,” said Ellison.
“I'm honored to make my second consecutive team and am proud to represent the USA in Rio,” added Kaminski.
The third member of the men’s squad, Zach Garrett, said he was relieved but felt his task was not complete: “I don’t think that anyone or I will really feel accomplished until we're standing on the podium!”
The alternates for the team are Daniel McLaughlin and LaNola Pritchard.
