Greece’s Evangelia Psarra set on repeating last-minute magic in Paris

Evangelia Psarra entered Rio de Janeiro in 2016 as the most experienced Olympian in the field, shooting at her fifth consecutive Summer Games.

With a strong showing in Paris this weekend, she could make it six. 

Psarra, 47, is among the plethora of women in France competing for the final two individual quota spots currently available for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Her breadth of experience is certainly an asset, but she knows she faces an uphill battle with so few spots remaining. 

“I always come with the best expectations,” Psarra said on Friday. “The outcome is different, but I arrive with the hope that something good will happen.”

Psarra first appeared at the Olympics in 2000, when she finished 40th in Sydney. Her best result came at the following Games in Athens, where she placed seventh in the individual competition and fifth with Greece’s recurve women’s team on home soil.

The veteran archer has booked her ticket at the last minute before.

Psarra narrowly missed qualifying for the Rio Games at the final qualification tournament in 2016 after losing in the quarterfinals in Antalya. The withdrawal of Carla Frangilli of the Ivory Coast, however, led to a vacant spot, which was assigned to Greece as the highest-ranked nation without an Olympic berth.

Psarra is hoping to avoid such complications this time around. 

“You will never get used to it,” Psarra said of the stressful circumstances surrounding the Olympics. “Even if it’s the last time, you hope it will end well.”

Individual quota places for Tokyo will be awarded on Monday at the final qualifier in Paris.