Interview with Canadian Archery Star Eric Peters

At the 2023 World Archery Championships in Berlin, Eric Peters of Ottawa, Ontario, won the silver medal. It was the best ever result Canada has had in the individual recurve at the World Championships, and one of only three Canadians to ever medal in the event at the World Championships. Peters followed Wayne Pullen of Vancouver, British Columbia, who won bronze in 1971 in York, England, and Crispin Duenas of North York, Ontario ,who won bronze in 2013 in Belek, Turkey. Here are my seven questions in my interview with Peters.

Q: How ecstatic were you about your silver medal at the World Archery Championships? 

A: “It’s kind of hard to put into words how that felt. I kind of knew going into the event that I was on an upswing, and that I had the form to do well. I was really kind of feeling that a top eight finish would be great, and something that I could aspire to. In the moment, it hurt. This is a sport where you lose gold, you don’t win second. So to have been as close as I was, it sucked. But really not very long after, I just felt super proud of myself. This was my first big result in a while, and my first at a world championships. Ecstatic wouldn’t be the word that I would use, but that whole day was a high moment that I won’t ever forget.”

Q: The only archer that performed better at the World Championship was Mete Gazoz of Turkey. What will to take to beat him in Paris? 

A:”It’s obviously going to be a difficult task. He is both the reigning world champion and Olympic champion. But the reality of it is, there is a reasonable pool of men whom are shooting at a level, that picking a winner here is near impossible. This sport, at the highest level, is a little random. The best of us will show up at the top time and time again. To make regular top eight appearances is a task of its own. So to beat Mete, to be a roughly equal skill is necessary. But a little bit of good luck at this level will go a very long way. The margins are thin here, so we won’t know until the day arrives.”

Q: Who do you consider are your other more notable competitors? 

A: “The list here is long, because of how much this is a “any given day” sort of sport. But the entire Korean team, Kim Woo-jin, Kim Je-deok, and Lee Woo-Seok are all incredible and could all take it. Brady Elision of the United States, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, and one of the most accomplished archers in history could as well, though he has taken a small downward turn with age. Marcus D’Almeida of Brazil, current world number one, has been looking really quite good going into the Games. Dhiraj Bommadevara, India’s number one is also quite the threat. Other notable mentions would be the French team, a strong team of individuals in their own right, on home soil, are out to make some noise here as well. As well as Matias Grande from Mexico has burst onto the world stage and could do it as well.

Q: Canada has never won a medal in the history of the Olympics in archery. How excited are you at trying to make history? 

A: “I’m excited for the challenge, and for the Games in general. However, I’m not really focused at all on trying to make history. This is all about taking it day by day, and arrow by arrow. I don’t want to think of the possible results until I get there. I really just plan on trying to be in the moment, and seeing where that takes me. It would be really cool though.”

Q: How did you get involved in the sport of archery? 

A: “It is broadly the same story that has been told about me everywhere else to date. I was, and still am, a nerdy kid who really liked fantasy books, movies, games, etc. One of my favourite things in those pieces of media was archery. I thought it was really cool and begged my parents to do it. It just took off from there. We went to a place to buy me a bow appropriate for my age (11), took some lessons and off I went.

Q: What can you tell me about your mixed team partner Virgine Chenier of Montreal? 

A: Virginie and I have known each other for over a decade now. The first time we were on the same team was for a Youth World Championships in 2013. There is much to say about her, but she’s a great teammate and archer. I’m super proud of her for making this team, and being here. It was a long, difficult journey for her to be here, but that’s her story to tell. Beyond all of that, I’m just excited to have her here and for us to give it a shot in the mixed team event.

Q: What are your individual goals for Paris? 

A: In large part my individual goals for the Games have nothing to do with any result that I can or cannot produce. I want to come in here and shoot my arrows the way I know how. To come in here and shoot confidently. Everything else will follow, and I’ll just have to wait to see what happens. Until then, I just keep doing what I know I can do.