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Denise Parker, Archery
Posted: Friday August 27, 1999 11:37 AM
Born: Dec. 12, 1973 Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah Upcoming Events: U.S. Olympic trials finals, Sept. 4-5, Chula Vista, Calif. Worth watching because: Parker, the top-ranked woman archer in the nation, qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials finals by becoming one of eight women to advance out of the semifinal round in Bloomfield, N.J. last weekend. Next month's finals will be the sixth in her still-young career; Parker advanced to her first Olympics more than 11 years ago. The final competition will consist of a seven-match round robin over two days, 12 arrows per match, shooting three at a time. Three archers, based on total points collected in the semifinals and finals, will qualify for the 2000 U.S. team; Parker currently sits in third place. Should she make the squad, she will compete in her third Olympics. Parker's interest in shooting sparked at age 10, when she tagged along with her dad while he practiced bow hunting. Success came at an early age for Parker, but so did the burnout. She shot onto the international archery scene in 1987, winning gold in both the individual and team events at the Pan American Games, where, as a 13-year-old, she was the youngest gold medalist that year. At 14, she placed first at the U.S. Olympic trials in 1988, setting an American record for points with 1,301, and went on to win a bronze in the team event in Seoul. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics she placed fifth in both the individual and team events and was looking forward to winnng a medal four years down the road on her home turf in Atlanta. While training for the 1996 Games, Parker put an enormous amount of pressure on herself, moving to San Diego to train full-time, shooting close to 300 arrows a day. The pressure took its toll, and she placed 10th at the Olympic trials, failing to make the team. The attitude that had made her impervious to pressure as a 13-year-old was gone. Following the trials Parker put away her bow, not knowing if she would return to the sport. In 1997 she graduated from Westminster College in Salt Lake City with a marketing degree and became the editor of Archer Focus, a bi-monthly publication. She currently works as a marketing manager for Hoyt USA, which manufactures bows. With her life more in balance, she decided to give archery another shot last season and won her fifth national title in July. This summer she turned in an impressive showing at the Pan American Games, where she won the individual bronze medal and helped the U.S. team win the gold. Her renewed interest in a sport she once dominated as a teenager has her aiming for Sydney in 2000. Greatest Successes: Two-time gold medalist (individual and team), 1987 Pan Am Games; bronze medal in team competition, 1988 Olympic Games; bronze medal (individual), 1999 Pan Am Games. Quote/Unquote: "My form has gotten so much better over the years, but man, would I love to have my attitude back -- [like I was] just out flinging arrows." Cool fact: After winning the gold in her first Pan Am Games at the age of 13, Denise appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where she shot an arrow through a Lifesaver. Come back soon for a new women's sports Spotlight.
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