Alyssia Tromans-Ansell secured Britain a quota place at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games today - and then went on to win a gold medal!
She knew that a place in the last 16 was needed to get Great Britain to Buenos Aires and nothing was going to stop her. First she saw off Gabrielle Monica Bidaure of the Philippines in a shoot-off. Then she beat Russia's Viktoria Kharitonova 6-0.
That put her in the last 16 - job done - and earned the 16th seed a showdown with the top qualifier, Korea's An San. It was close but Alyssia was in superb form, winning 6-4 to go through to the quarter final. She beat Ukraine's Zhanna Naumova 7-3 then Korean Park Sohui 6-4. That put her in the gold medal match - and China's Zhang Mengyao never stood a chance, losing 1-7.
Alyssia later told World Archery: Â"I'm over the moon I got this place for Great Britain. We've got a selection shoot to choose who'll shoot at the Youth Olympic Games next year and I'm hoping I'll get it.”
Britain had three other athletes shooting today. Thea Rogers beat Bolivia's Valentina Andrea Mendizabal Santiesteban 6-0 and Slovakian Denisa Barakova 6-2 but was denied a place in the last 16 by China's Yang Jiahui. Louisa Piper was beaten 6-4 in a tough match against Elia Canales Martin of Spain.
Two quota places per country - one boy and one girl - were available today. There will be other chances but Jacob Reid came very close to securing the second. He defeated Juan Andres Sanchez Ruiz of Ecuador 6-2 and Denmark's Oliver Staudt 6-2 but was denied a 1/8 round place by Japan's Tetsuya Aoshima. There was one last chance in this first quota tournament: the secondary re-ranking round. Jacob fought hard but he had no answer China's Cao Lichen.
You can find the results here.
Above: Alyssia Tromans-Ansell. Picture: World Archery
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