Romsey archer Patrick French delivered a tremendous performance in tough conditions against tough competitors at his first Paralympic Games.
He represented Australia in the men’s para-archery compound open 1/16 elimination round on Saturday against Indonesia’s Ken Swagumilang.
The tightly contested match played out in torrential rain and French narrowly missed advancement with a score of 138-140.
Swagumilang entered the match with a 12th place ranking. French had a strong start to the ranking round and was in the top four for the first half before dropping to rank 21.
Speaking to Express on Sunday, French said he was proud of his performance despite the challenging weather.
“The conditions were horrendous. The rain drops were about the size of 10 to 20 cent pieces. I was saturated all the way through and there were winds,” he said.
“I shot well. All of my shots felt good. A lot landed in the middle and that’s all I can do.”
French has already taken notes on areas to improve as he sets his sights on future competition.
“We shoot through magnification, which is affected by how the light comes into your eye,” he explained.
“My sight was wet the whole time, then for the last shots I wiped the water out of my eye. It changed my perception.
“That’s just how it works in this sport. There’s no second chance. I’ve learnt a lot from my experience now I’m just looking to building on that and gaining more experience.
“I’ve shot with Ken a number of times on the international circuit and I’m glad to have lost to him.”
French said he was also proud of his fellow Aussie teammates and emphasised the importance of supporting them as they continue their campaign.
He thanked friends, family, the Macedon Ranges community and beyond for their support throughout his journey.
French will continue training as soon he returns home, with Open Nationals to be held at Canberra in October. He is already thinking ahead to the next Paralympics in Los Angeles 2028.
