PARIS – Eric Pieters has climbed from No. 64 to No. 5 in the world recurve archery rankings in just over a year.
But the 27-year-old shooter from Kitchener, Ontario, who won silver at last year’s world championships, will not be on the podium at the Paris Olympics.
Peters lost 6-2 to Italy’s Mauro Nespoli in the men’s individual elimination match on Sunday.
Related Videos
Nespoli, 36, won an individual silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and was part of the Italian team that won gold at the 2012 Olympics and silver at the 2008 Olympics.
An email that brings you the top news of the day from Canada and around the world.
Get domestic news every day
Receive the day’s top news, politics, economics and current affairs headlines delivered to your inbox once a day.
He won the first set 28-23 on Sunday, drew the second (30-30) and third (28-28), then won the fourth 29-26 to clinch the showdown.
“I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve ever had in archery history,” Peters said before facing Nespoli. “It’s incredible. It’s not something you get to experience very often in the sport, and just having that atmosphere is something else.”
In July 2023, Peters traveled to Berlin and achieved Canada’s highest finish in history by finishing second at the World Archery Championships. His world silver also helped the Canadian team qualify for the Paris Olympics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
