Paris 2024 Olympic Games objective for archers from the French team welcomed at the Smarves archery club

Less than three months before the Olympic Games, the Smarves archery club in Vienne hosted a national competition this weekend with archers from the French team. Their goal: to be selected for the Paris Olympics.

This is the second year in a row that the Smarves archery club has hosted a round of the French Division 1 championship. This happened last weekend in this commune of Vienne near Poitiers and the club welcomed the national archery elite with archers from the French team selected for the Paris Olympics.

The closer we get (to the Olympics), the more important each arrow is, the more each moment is super important.

Caroline Lopez

French archery team

Among these competitors, two licensees from the Auvergne club of Riom : Lisa Barbelin, European champion two years ago, and Caroline Lopez, reigning world team vice-champion. Both dream of joining the French Olympic selection made up of three women and three men. Caroline Lopez for which it would be the first Olympic selection, feels the deadline approaching : “ The better things go, the fewer days separate us from the Olympics and we realize that the closer we get, the more important each arrow is, the more each moment is extremely important. »

Lisa Barbelinfrom the same Auvergne club, has already participated once in the Olympics: “ Of course, it puts a little pressure, but the whole point is to stay “ focus » on us and not to concentrate on the cameras, on the questions that may be asked of us… It is certain that the whole context changes and there is more pressure. »

Of course, the whole context changes and there is more pressure.

Lisa Barbelin

French archery team

Jean-Charles Vallandont also took part in the competition at Smarves this weekend. His track record is impressive : former world number 1, he participated in the Beijing Games in 2008 and Tokyo in 2022 and was above all a silver medalist at those in Rio in 2016.

His experience is an asset for the French team : “We installed an arena to simulate what we will have on the Place des Invalides and we bring in the public from time to time so that we try to stay in our bubble.”

Our three champions will have to wait a few more weeks before knowing if they are among the lucky ones. The French archery selection for the Paris Olympics must be revealed at the end of June.

>> See the report of Jérôme Vilain and Romain Burot during this archery competition in Smarves.