Canada’s Kyle Tremblay secures Paralympic quota spot in archery for Paris 2024

Kyle Tremblay has locked up a Paralympic quota spot for Canada in Para archery.

He also has a chance to leave the Parapan Am Games with a medal around his neck.

The 32-year-old will compete for bronze Wednesday after losing a semifinal tiebreaker to Diego Quesada of Costa Rica in the men’s compound open division on a sunny and warm Monday in Santiago, Chile.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Tremblay told the Canadian Olympic Committee of the Paralympic berth for Paris next summer. “It makes all my training this past year worth it and puts everything in perspective on how hard you have to work.”

On Wednesday, the native of Deep River, Ont., will battle Victor Sardinia, who shoots with his feet. The Mexican grabbed the other Paralympic quota spot for these Games after the United States and Costa Rica previously qualified.

American Kevin Polish meets Quesada in the gold-medal competition.

“Having a day in between will give[me] time to settle down from the quota [and] what I just went through,” said Tremblay, who is making his first appearance at the Parapan Am Games.

He also plans to refocus on his shot process and mental strength in high-pressure situations.

3-year absence with illness

In the semifinal, Tremblay and Quesada were tied 153-153 after five rounds. The wheelchair athletes were given one shot in the tiebreaker, with the closest to the bull’s-eye declared the winner.

“That last arrow is a matter of controlling your nerves, knowing your shot process without having to think about it and just stay focused on aiming,” said Tremblay, the Canadian record holder in men’s compound open. “Mine was just outside the 10-point mark, [Quesada’s] was inside, so he clearly won.”

Tremblay, who returned to competition earlier this year from a three-year absence due to illness, gained a bye to Monday’s quarterfinals by opening the Parapan Am Games tournament with a second-place finish in the ranking round on Sunday.

He posted a 139-126 quarterfinal decision over Joffre Villavivencio when the Ecuadorian scored zero points for missing a target in the second round.

Earlier this year, Tremblay won gold in individual and mixed team bronze in the East and West editions of Canada Cup archery.

He also made his third appearance at the world championships and was Canada’s top qualifier in 61st before losing a close match in August in the first elimination round in Pilsen, Czech Republic.

Elsewhere on Monday, swimmer Jordan Tucker earned Canada’s 11th medal of these Games with bronze in the women’s S5 50-metre butterfly.

The 21-year-old finished in 54.70 seconds behind Estefany Oliveira (47.08) and Darlin Romero of Colombia (51.99). Oliveira’s time set the Parapan Am Games record held by Brazil’s Joana Da Silver (47.55) since the 2015 Games in Toronto.

Tucker is a S4 swimmer at the Royal City club in Guelph, Ont., was racing in the S5 category after her sixth-place finish in the 150m individual medley.

“I just went all out [in the butterfly],” said Tucker, who sat out worlds in the summer with an elbow injury. “It’s been feeling really good so far. I really loved the experience here so far.”