Mexico earned its first medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics when the women’s archery team — Alejandra Valencia, Ana Paula Vázquez and Ángela Ruiz — won a bronze on Sunday at the Summer Games.
In the shadow of the historical 17th-century Hôtel des Invalides, the archers each hit the bull’s eye with their final arrows to defeat the Netherlands in the Women’s Archery Team event.
The triumph was extra special for Ruiz — Sunday was her 18th birthday.
The Olympic medal was the first-ever for the women’s team and the fourth for Mexican archers. Valencia and Luis Álvarez won a bronze in Mixed Team Archery at the 2020 Tokyo Games, while Aída Román won silver and Mariana Avitia won bronze in the Women’s Individual Archery event at the 2012 London Games.
The Mexican archers earned their spot in Sunday morning’s quarterfinals by finishing third in the qualifying round. After a slow start, the trio dispatched reigning world champion Germany 5-1 to advance to the semifinals, with Vázquez hitting the bullseye with both arrows in the third and decisive set.
Competing against a strong team from China in the afternoon, Mexico struggled with the wind but took the Chinese to a fourth set before succumbing 5-3. Ruiz, a promising youngster who rose to No. 22 in the World Rankings heading into the Paris Games, was inconsistent early, but two of her last three arrows hit the bull’s eye.
In the bronze-medal match, the trio was on target, scoring 57 (out of 60) in the first and fourth sets — including four straight bull’s eyes to close out the contest — defeating the Netherlands 6-2.
Valencia — a four-time Olympian — spoke to PanAm Sports Channel afterward: “We are happy. We fought well and we dedicate this victory to our families, to the people who came here to support us, and to all of Mexico… but particularly to Ángela [Ruiz], since today is her birthday.”
The bronze medal is the 74th Olympic medal for Mexico, which is participating in its 23rd Olympic Games. Mexico has won 13 gold medals, 24 silver medals and 37 bronze medals in its history of participation in the global event.
Mexico hopes to extend its medal count in Paris, with strong possibilities in the diving and taekwondo events. Mexico has 15 Olympic diving medals, the most in any single event.
With reports from El Universal, Proceso, Marca and PanAm Sports Channel
