Four Cariboo Archers represented Team Canada last week at the World 3D Archery Championships in Terni, Italy.
Nearly one half of the 19-athlete Team Canada finished in the top 16 groups in their respective categories.
“[It was] more than ever before,” said Williams Lake archer Al Campsall. “It is generally conceded that any archer who makes the top 16 cut is capable of winning the gold medal.”
In total, 23 countries sent their top archers to vie for a world championship.
Cariboo Archer Fred Streleoff led all local athletes finishing 11th in the world, and was the only Cariboo Archer to qualify in the top 16.
“He barely experienced elimination when his score was only a few points short of being able to move onto the next elimination round of eight archers,” Campsall said.
In 2013, Streleoff led all Canadian Archers with a fifth-place finish.
Newcomers to Team Canada, Williams Lake’s father, daughter duo Dan Mobbs and Jessie Mobbs also shot to 24th- and 17th-place finishes, respectively.
Jessie also shot in the team competition and anchored Canada’s first-ever eighth-place result.
Campsall, meanwhile, said he encountered some equipment issues — a hairline crack in his arrow rest which cost him errant arrows for his first 12 shots.
“No excuses,” he said.
“[I’m] responsible for my own equipment.”
Campsall finished four places better than he did in 2013 with a 26th-place finish.
“All in all, the experience was quite positive for our local athletes,” he said.
“All of us appreciated the beautiful and unique Manmore Falls setting for the shoot and the extreme up and down hill terrain for very technically difficult shooting. There were many small targets at long distances.”
Dan and Jessie both said they appreciated the Team Canada camaraderie, sportsmanship and helpfulness of the athletes both on and off the Canadian team, and especially appreciated shooting with so many highly skilled athletes from around the world.
Campsall and Streleoff, meanwhile, said it was nice to get back together with past Team Canada members and create new friendships in the bonding of the Canadian team.
All four said they were also appreciative of the local moral and financial support.
“Our community members were more than generous with both and we would like to thank them,” Campsall said.
Campsall was also chosen during the opening ceremonies as Canada’s flag bearer, however, argued Streleoff may have been the appropriate choice due to his fifth-place result at the 2013 worlds.
The 2017 World Championships will be hosted in France.