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Brazil, Colombia win Olympic tickets as final fours set in Santiago

3 November 2023

Santiago, Chile

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Marcus D’Almeida and Ana Machado at Santiago 2023.

Ana Machado and Ana Maria Rendon have won Olympic quota places for Brazil and Colombia by making the semifinals of the recurve women’s event at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.

The other two archers in the final four (defending champion and top seed Alejandra Valencia and world number two Casey Kaufhold) are not eligible to win places as their countries, Mexico and the USA, have already qualified at least one women’s ticket to Paris 2024.

It means the two individual slots available at this event can already be assigned.

“I can’t believe that this is happening,” said 24-year-old Machado. “I’m so nervous, I’m still really, really nervous. It’s my first Pan American Games and I’m in the semifinals. I’m really happy.”

Rendon, who has twice been on the podium at this event having won bronze in 2007 and silver in 2015, called the ticket motivation to work harder.

The 37-year-old went to three Olympics from 2008 to 2016 but missed out on Tokyo.

She’ll face the Mexican number-one qualifier in Sunday’s semifinal. Already a two-time winner at this event in 2011 and 2019, Alejandra Valencia has a chance to become the first archer in history to win the individual title at the Pan American Games on three occasions.

Ana Maria Rendon at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

While both women’s number one seeds remain in the event, Valencia and compounder Sara Lopez, both men’s top qualifiers were eliminated early in the competition.

The USA’s Kris Schaff lost in the quarterfinals of the compound men’s event to Puerto Rico’s Jean Pizarro, 147-146.

Brazilian world number one Marcus D’Almeida lost yesterday in a shoot-off to Cuban archer Javier Vega, who in turn went out to Jackson Mirich of the US in straight sets today. It leaves second seed Brady Ellison as the remaining favourite, though Chile’s Ricardo Soto – who will face Mirich in the semifinals – appears to be maximising his home field advantage.

D’Almeida and Ellison will face each other in the recurve mixed team final, which may also decide the remainder of the Olympic quota places in Santiago.

If Brazil wins the recurve mixed team gold medal… then Brazil will be awarded a women’s quota from the mixed team event rather than the individual and Canada will be reassigned the individual women’s quota for Paris 2024, alongside Colombia. The individual men’s quotas will be decided during Sunday’s finals and the men’s place from the mixed team event will not be awarded.

If the USA wins the recurve mixed team gold medal… then the USA will be awarded a men’s quota from the mixed team event and Chile and Mexico will receive the individual men’s quotas for Paris 2024. The women’s place from the mixed team event will not be awarded.

Competition at the Pan Am Games continues with compound finals on Saturday in Santiago.