Archery Canada has nominated Kevin Evans to the Canadian Paralympic team.
The local archer based out of Jaffray will head to the world's biggest sporting stage for the third time with his compound bow as a member of Team Canada's archery team.
Evans is Canada’s top ranked male para-archer. He is a two-time defending world champion, having struck gold in 2007 and 2009 in the Men’s Open Compound Bow category.
In 2011, Evans followed that up with a gold medal finish at the Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. He competed at the 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games, finishing just out of the medals. Evans is currently ranked 26th out of 146 in the world in his category.
Joining Evans is Karen Van Nest of South Bruce Penninsula, Ontario.
Van Nest has been Canada’s top ranked female para-archer for many years, and has had a strong start to the 2016 season.
Van Nest holds a world ranking of 13th out of 62 archery athletes in her category, the Women’s Open Compound Bow. The soon-to-be five-time Paralympian was the silver medallist in the women’s open compound category at the 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games.
She competed in the 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games in pistol shooting. The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will mark the second time that she competes at the Games as an archery athlete.
“Both Karen and Kevin have had a solid start to this season, after several international tournaments overseas”, said Ryan Van Berkel, volunteer Coordinator for Archery Canada’s para-archery program and Archery’s Team Leader for the Paralympics. “Their physical and mental training and preparation continues to go well in the lead-up to the Games. I look forward to working with Karen and Kevin, their coaches, and performance team over the next couple of months leading to Rio.”
The para-archery competition will begin on September 10th, at the famous Sambodromo, the annual host venue for the Rio Carnival Samba Parade.
Prior to being named to the final Canadian Rio 2016 Paralympic Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s High Performance Committee following its receipt of nominations from Archery Canada.
Evans is one of three Paralympians from the region; Tristen Chernove is on the Canadian cycling team, while Shacarra Orr of Jaffray is representing her country on the national sit-volleyball squad.