TAKING aim at gold, Peter Boukouvalas is Australia’s only archery contender in what will be his first Olympics in Paris this month.
The Georges Hall resident who went to St Euphemia College, Bankstown, will be among the best 128 archers in the world who will line up at the Esplanade des Invalides next to the Eiffel Tower.
Thrilled to be representing Australia at just 25, Peter only took up archery eight-and-a-half years ago after a ‘come and try’ day at Sydney Olympic Park and says the selection qualification for the Olympics was rigorous.
“There was a domestic trial and then I had to compete in three World Cup qualifiers as well as an international tournament and was lucky enough that my best average result saw me qualify for the Games,” he said.
He said that the world’s best archers, including himself, can all shoot 10s but it comes down to the best of three and then six attempts.
“Sometimes it’s just a matter of who blinks first and drops a point,” he said.
“All you can do is just shoot your best and hope it’s enough.
“To come back with a medal, though, would be amazing, pretty special.”
Joining Peter to represent Australia at the Paris Olympics, will be swimmer Abbey Connor. Former Panania resident and 200m Butterfly champion Abbey, 19, used to train at with the Harlee Elite squad in Bankstown, up to eight times a week before joining the Australian Dolphins Swim Team.
She was still at school when she debuted at the 2022 World Championships in Hungary and then went on to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games where she narrowly missed a medal.
After swimming at the 2023 world championships in Japan, she booked her ticket to her first Olympics in Paris when she finished second at the Australian trials in Brisbane in June.
Mum Rebecca said Abbey was incredibly excited as she wasn’t expecting to make the team this year but hoping for the 2028 Games.
“She just eats, sleeps and swims and will only be home for a few weeks after the Olympics before she heads to Adelaide to trial for the World Cup in Hungary,” she said.
“We are incredibly proud of her success and pleased we started her on swimming lessons at six months old; she’s loved it from the word go.
“We can’t wait to see how she goes at her first Olympics.”
Going for gold
WITH just over one week until the Paris Olympics – the world’s biggest sporting event – archer Peter Boukouvalas, swimmers Abbey Connor and Se-Bom Lee, boxer Tina Rahimi, soccer’s Mary Fowler, athlete Jessica Hull, tennis’ Alexei Popyri, water polo’s Chaz Poot and Rugby Sevens’ Dietrich Roache, will be flying the flag for Canterbury Bankstown, hoping to bring home gold for Australia.
