ARCHERY: Alice Ingley will fulfil her childhood Olympic dream after her selection on the 2016 Australian Olympic Team for the Rio Olympic Games was confirmed today.
The 23-year-old from Perth, quit her job in February and self-funded a move to Brisbane to train with the national squad. Her selection follows that of the three men - Alec Potts, Ryan Tyack and Taylor Worth – to conclude the Archery Section for Rio.
“I was always into lots of sports during my childhood and so my Olympic dream has always been there,” Ingley said.
“It’s definitely starting to hit home now. I guess I won’t fully realise until I arrive in Rio but it is definitely exciting and something I have worked a long time for.”
Ingley had success in athletics, karate and netball as a junior before choosing to concentrate on archery over netball. The decision soon paid off as she was selected for a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in 2008 ,where she stayed from 2008 to 2010.
She got her first taste of international competition at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney. Was the only female archer for the first Youth Olympic Games in 2010 and was the reserve for the London Olympics in 2012.
After winning the Australian Open in 2014 Ingley took a big break from the sport to rest and treat an on-going shoulder injury that had been troubling her since late 2010.
Since London she feel she has matured and her confidence has grown.
“I went in to this selection period in a different headspace compared to before London and I definitely was peaking at the right time for Rio.”
Ingley peaked during the Rio Team selection camps in Australia and won the 2016 Australian Open to earn nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee by the Archery Australia selectors.
All four selected archers fly to Chinese Taipei on Monday for a 10-day training camp with their national team where they will experience weather conditions similar to what they expect in Rio.
Ingley did not compete at the Test Event in February but she still can picture where she will compete at the Sambodromo venue in Rio, famous for hosting the annual Carnival.
“They took lots of photos and video from the Test event and around Rio so I’ve got a good picture in my mind of the layout of the competition venue and what to expect.”
Archery will be the second sport to get underway at the Games and before the Opening Ceremony. Women’s football play on the Wednesday August 3 and the important ranking round for archery takes place during the day on Friday August 5, just hours before the Opening Ceremony.
