An improved performance mattered more than the result for ParalympicsGB archer Hazel Chaisty after bowing out of the women’s individual recurve open event in Tokyo.
Chaisty lost out to Italy’s Vincenza Petrilli at the quarter-final stage, sharing the first two sets before conceding the last two to go down 6-2.
But the way she shot in comparison to her earlier matches left her smiling come the end of individual competition on Paralympic debut.
The 49-year-old had earlier beaten Ieva Melle of Latvia and the Russian Paralympic Committee’s Margarita Sidorenko, via a shoot-off point, to reach the last eight without being convinced of her display in rainy conditions at Yumenoshima Final Field.
“I wasn’t expecting to get to the quarter-finals and I shot better than I did this morning. I got some nice 10s in there and that’s more like my shooting,” she said of her final match.
“I’m really glad that I came back from shooting those awful arrows this morning. I held my nerve, got back on my horse and shot how I can shoot. I’m happy with that.
“A lack of competition throughout last year and this past year has made it difficult to keep your edge and all of the archers are feeling like that from every country.
“But the Japanese people have been so wonderful and made it so fantastic here.
“I’ve still got the mixed team to go with David [Phillips] so we’ll see how we do but all in all, I’ve had the time of my life.”
Chaisty and David Phillips will be in mixed team 1/8 elimination action against Turkey on Saturday, hoping to be in contention when the medals are decided later in the day.
Courtesy of ParalympicsGB
