Sunday, November 19th, 2023.- Chilean archer Mariana Zúñiga emerged victorious in the qualifying round of Para archery, specifically in the female's Open Compound category, by totaling 677 points. She surpassed Pilar Riveros from Costa Rica, who finished in second place. 

The event took place at the Archery Center located in the Peñalolén commune, southeast of Santiago, and attracted a significant audience despite the day's heat. 

Zúñiga is a third-year psychology student at the Universidad Catolica, a national archery team member, the reigning national champion in the discipline, and the only Paralympic athlete who has also won a medal competing in conventional ODESUR (South American Games). 

After completing the qualifying round, the athlete expressed her joy about the event. "I'm very happy; it's been a long day, with a lot of sun, a lot of heat, but I'm very pleased with the process, the work, and the result. Yes, I think it's a dream come true. In fact, when we finished the qualification, along with my teammate Carla Candia, we approached the shooting line, greeted the audience, and it was an exciting experience to see all the Team ParaChile colleagues, all the people supporting us, our families. It's truly a unique and unforgettable experience," said the Team ParaChile athlete. 

Para archery is a sport that requires a lot of concentration, control, and precision. The goal of this sport is to shoot arrows as close as possible to the center of a target or bullseye. Hitting the central circle guarantees the maximum score of 10 points. 

Written by Ernesto Bustos B. – Sebastián Farías; translated by Vicente Valdivia / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Ph: Javier Vergara / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport