Weeks after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Doreen’s Laura Paeglis is still looking back on her journey and reflecting on her first Olympics at the age of 22.
Paeglis said her first experience at the Olympics was ‘surreal’, travelling across the world to compete in archery in the Women’s Individual alongside debutant Peter Boukouvalas – a sport she had been preparing for since a very young age.
“I had an incredible time, and the high-performance environment of the village was unlike any other. The excitement and pressure of the event was an experience I’ll never forget, and it made me realise how much I loved my sport and representing my country,” she said.
As soon as Paeglis reached the Games, she began firing several bows and arrows to make rank.
Her first event was the Women’s Individual ranking round on July 25, where she recorded the highest score achieved by an Australian woman.
With a score of 640 from her 72 arrows in the Women’s Individual archery, Paeglis came in at 44th worldwide.
After a captivating performance, Paeglis moved on to her first match against France’s Caroline Lopez.
The nerves were high at this point for Paeglis, knowing it was her first real Olympic match.
“Before my match was when my nerves were at the highest,” she said.
“Sitting in the waiting room before my match, and hearing the cheering crowd was something I’ve never experienced before, and it was a surreal feeling, but I kept my focus on my goals and maintained my confidence.”
Though the match was the end of her Olympic journey after coming short in a very close match, 6-4, Paeglis remained proud of her aim.
Taking the loss with pride, Paeglis said Paris had only heightened her determination to do better at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“I’m very proud of how well I handled myself in my match and didn’t let the pressure of the event get to me. I’m also proud of shooting the highest 720 score by an Australian woman,” she said.
“I was nervous before my competition started but I knew that I was capable of shooting really well. I had gained a lot of confidence at other international events this year so while I was nervous, I was also confident.
“This Olympics has only made me want to win more so my plans are to keep training and use the learnings from this event to make me even better!”
