Khatuna Lorig of Chula Vista won the gold medal in the women’s individual archery competition in the Pan American Games Saturday, defeating Ana Maria Rendon of Colombia, 6-2, in the final at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
Lorig, who helped Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence prepare for her starring role in the 2012 film “The Hunger Games,” won both of the first two sets, 27-26, lost the third, 28-24, and won the fourth, 26-25, firing her fourth 10 of the match on her final arrow.
The gold medal was the 41-year-old Lorig’s first in the Pan American Games. She won a silver medal in the team competition in the 2011 Pan American Games and a bronze in Friday’s team competition.
“She’s tough, she won’t give up and she’s never going to back down,” said U.S. archer Brady Allison, the silver medalist in the men’s individual competition, which also concluded today. “She’s just determined.”
Lorig defeated Aida Roman of Mexico, 6-5, in a semifinal match earlier Saturday decided in a shootout.
Lorig won the first two sets, 26-25, 27-26, but lost the next two, 28- 27, 27-25. The fifth set ended in a 27-27 tie, with Lorig firing her third 10 of the match on her final arrow, to force the shootout, which Lorig won.
Roman is sixth in the women’s recurve world rankings, compiled by the World Archery Federation, the sport’s international governing body, three spots ahead of Lorig. Roman was the silver medalist in the event in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Each match is the best of five sets, with each set consists of three arrows per archer. The winner of each set receives two points. If a set is tied, each archer receives one point.
Lorig is a five-time Olympian. She won a bronze medal in the team event in 1992, competing for the Unified Team, as the team representing 12 of the republics of the former Soviet Union was known.
Lorig competed for her native Georgia in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. She became a U.S. citizen in 2007, and competed for the U.S. in the 2008 and 2012 Games.
She has been the top U.S archer in both of the last two Olympics, finishing fourth in the individual event in 2012 and fifth in 2008.
“This is the USA on my back, I’m walking around like a peacock and I like to bring the gold,” Lorig said. “I like to see my sport glow, especially when it says USA on my back.”
— City News Service
