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USA Archery Squad Ready to Begin Competition at Pan American Games, Rio
By Diana Wright // U.S. Olympic Committee // July 22, 2007
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The USA Archery Team has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is ready to begin competition at the 2007 Pan American Games. Fresh off a trip to Leipzig, Germany for the 2007 FITA World Championships, the archery squad will open competition at the 2007 Pan American Games on July 24. The Pan American Games feature 5,654 athletes from 42 nations, competing in 34 sports. The program includes 28 Olympic Sports and six Pan American Sports (Bowling, Futsal, Karate, Roller Sports, Squash and Water Skiing).
The U.S. Archery Team consists of three men and three women. Leading the way for the men’s squad is four-time Olympian Richard ‘Butch’ Johnson (Woodstock, Conn.) and two-time Olympian Vic Wunderle (Mason City, Ill.). These are the third Pan American Games for Johnson and the fourth for Wunderle. Wunderle is the reigning Pan American Games champion, earning two gold medals at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (men’s recurve individual and team). At just 19 years old, Brady Ellison (Glendale, Ariz./Chula Vista, Calif.) is making his Pan American Games debut.
“Every tournament I go into I just try to do the best I can,” Wunderle explained. “I’ve had a lot of success at the Pan Am Games in the past and I hope to have more success this tournament. We have a good team and are all looking forward to a good competition.”
On the women’s side, Jennifer Nichols (Cheyenne, Wyo.), a 2004 Olympian, hopes to defend the two gold medals she won at the 2003 Pan American Games. Nichols won the individual women’s event as well as the women’s team competition at the 2003 Pan American Games. Less than two weeks ago, she took fourth place at the FITA World Championships.
“I am feeling confident and have all intentions of having a good experience here in Rio,” Nichols said. “It’s not the same playing field as it was in 2003, as all the teams have really improved and developed in the past four years. It will be a great competition and I’m excited to begin.”
In Rio, Nichols will be joined by 2000 Olympian Karen Scavotto (Enfield, Conn./Chula Vista, Calif.) and Lindsay Pian (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chula Vista, Calif.), who are both making their Pan American Games debut.
The squad is under the guidance of Kisik Lee (Chula Vista, Calif.), a world-renowned Archery coach who has coached six Olympic Teams in his career.
“Generally the U.S. Team has a strong showing at the Pan American Games,” Lee said. “We just came back from our World Championships and have good experience and training so we are ready to shoot. We would love to repeat our results from the last Pan Am Games and have two team and two individual gold medals.”
The Pan American Games began with Opening Ceremonies on July 13 and will conclude with Closing Ceremonies on July 29.
The USA Archery Roster for the 2007 Pan American Games includes:
Name Hometown Current Residence
Brady Ellison Glendale, Ariz. Chula Vista, Calif.
Richard “Butch” Johnson Woodstock, Conn. Woodstock, Conn.
Jennifer Nichols Cheyenne, Wyo. Cheyenne, Wyo.
Lindsay Pian Scottsdale, Ariz. Chula Vista, Calif.
Karen Scavotto Cheyenne, Wyo. Chula Vista, Calif.
Vic Wunderle Mason City, Ill. Mason City, Ill.
For more information, please contact Diana Wright at diana.wright@usoc.org, or, if calling from the U.S., please dial 011-55-21-8890-3120.
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