Para archer Bantiloc last in Paris ranking round despite season-best mark 

MANILA, Philippines – Para archer Agustina Bantiloc faces an uphill climb when the Philippine bet heads to the knockout eliminations after a tough ranking round in the women’s individual compound open event of the Paris Paralympics on Thursday, August 29.  

Bantiloc battles fifth seed Jane Karla Gogel of Brazil in the round of 16 on Friday, August 30, at 3:17 pm, Manila time, at the Les Invalides, a venue that showcases the French military history.

Just a day after serving as one of the country’s flag bearers in the opening ceremony, Bantiloc had a rough start to her campaign as she finished last among 28 contenders despite scoring a season-best 618 in the open ranking round.

Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi, who claimed the top seed, set a world record with 704 points, just a point ahead of India’s Sheetal Devi, who also reset her personal best.

Bantiloc finished the first half already at the bottom with 313 points.

The oldest in the Philippine para delegation at 56, Bantiloc failed to sustain a strong showing in the fourth set where she fired four 10s for a 58/60 tally.

Bantiloc struggled to close the first half strong, posting her lowest score of 47, which was pulled down by a woeful 5 points on her last arrow in the sixth set.

The Filipino Paralympic debutant then ranged her output from 49 to 54 points in the second half for a total of 305.

Bantiloc, though, needs to up her game when she goes head-to-head with Gogel in the next round.

A former para table tennis player, Gogel became the first female para archer to breach the 590 mark in the 60-arrow, 18-meter event, scoring 591 out of a possible 600 points in the Nimes Archery Tournament, also in France, in 2022.

Gogel finished fifth in the ranking round with a season-best 691.

Bantiloc, the pride of Tanudan, Kalinga, was a former para powerlifter before finding her niche in para archery. – Rappler.com