SA archer David Barnes earns Tokyo Olympics selection, 16 years on from Games debut in Athens
An Adelaide-born archer says he is better placed to make the most of his Tokyo Olympics selection, having quit the sport for a decade following his Games debut in Athens in 2004.
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A South Australian archer, who quit the sport for a decade, says he is better placed to make the most of his Olympics selection, 16 years on from his Games debut.
David Barnes was on Saturday named in the Australian team for Tokyo, having walked away from the sport in 2007 after competing as a teenage prodigy in Athens.
The father-of-two said the hiatus, coupled with life experiences away from archery, had made him hungrier and more determined to cherish his second Olympic opportunity.
“It will be an absolute honour to represent the country again,” Barnes, 34, said.
“The second time around, I’m sure it will even be more fulfilling and more of a memorable moment where you’ll be able to process things a little bit more.
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“I didn’t shoot an arrow for 10 years, but I had no bad feelings or no animosity.
“I was just getting on with life.
“But it was something I always said I would go back to.
“I just felt deep down inside there was some unfinished business.”
Barnes, then aged 18, was eliminated in the round-of-32 of the individual event in Athens, before helping Australia to the quarter-finals of the team competition.
But after narrowly missing a place at the Beijing Games three years later, he quit archery to get married, have children and start his own home gym equipment business.
The 2003 World Championship bronze medallist began shooting again just over two years ago with an eye on an Olympic return.
He was part of the national squad that earned Games quota spots in a tie-break shoot-off with Turkey at last year’s World Titles in the Netherlands.
Barnes then shone at a trio of Olympic trial events, including at the Australian Open at Victor Harbor a fortnight ago, to book his ticket to Tokyo.
“It’s hard to remember a lot of the specifics from back then (Athens),” Barnes, of Parkside, said.
“I was in a totally different stage of life.
“I’m a lot more focused and determined now with a lot more responsibilities and conflicting priorities in life with work, and family, and young kids.
“Every hour is precious, so I don’t want to waste any opportunities and really want to make the most of it this time around.
“The main thing for me is not to get caught up in the hype too much and just be able to stay focused on the job at hand.”
Barnes, along with teammates Ryan Tyack and Taylor Worth, has spent the past week at a training camp in Brisbane and departed for an Asian Cup event in Thailand on Sunday.
He will compete in a series of World Cups in the lead-up to the July-August Olympics, where he will again feature in the individual and team competitions.