Pascale LEBECQUE: “I am better in head-to-head matches”

On the first day of the Cali World Games, and just two months before the World Championships in Belek Antalya, where she will certainly want to improve from her silver medal from Turin two years ago, Pascale told us about her state of mind and her expectations for this busy end of the compound season.
We’re just a few hours before the start of the World Games. What is your appraisal of the current archery season?I have mixed feelings; my results in Antalya were satisfying, with a 5th place individually and very good matches, so I’m rather happy. However in Medellin I was defeated in the quarter-finals and it sort of left me wanting for more because I did not shoot very well. Even though I climbed to 4th place in the world ranking, I am not really satisfied with my performance.
Did you hope to reach a higher individual rank in Medellin, in the absence of the Korean women, the new compound superpower?It is true that there was less competition in Medellin, but many medal contenders were present. The overall level is very high, but I think that one shouldn’t fear a nation or an athlete in particular, since we don’t shoot against a track record but against an opponent.
We have witnessed the emergence of South America as a compound power – and especially Colombia with archers Sara LOPEZ and Alejandra USQUIANO who won the last two World Cup stages. Do you think that the compound hierarchy is changing and is becoming more global?I think that LOPEZ and USQUIANO have been motivated by the fact that their country was organising a World Cup and their team victory in Antalya made them even stronger, which is a good thing. It is true that things are changing a bit, but I don’t think that everything is upside down either; I think that we could do just as well. What matters is that when medals are on the line, regardless of our opponents, we must give the best of ourselves.
Regarding the World Games: in what state of mind and with what hunger do you approach this competition, knowing that for the compound athletes it is an opportunity to tell the world that your sport deserves to be on the Olympic programme?(She laughs)… It should be evidence that we deserve a spot on the Olympic programme! Anyway, the World Games are a good experience and the opening ceremony was absolutely fantastic, it gives us our own mini-Games. However, the archery field is very small, the event features less competitors than usual, and the competition format is different. I must admit that qualifications are not my strength; I am better in head-to-head matches and enjoy them more. We have several archers of a very high level here, the world’s top archers are present and I’m sorry that the competition format is not longer. Indeed, I would not be surprised to see upheavals in the rankings.
Are the World Games going to have an impact in your preparation for the last and decisive World Cup stage in Poland?Absolutely not! Even though we move from one competition to the next, after Cali I will have some time to get back on track and focus on the next competition.
After Poland, we’ll have the World Championships in Belek Antalya, where you will try to defend, or improve, your silver medal position. There are many important competitions in just over two months. How do you prepare mentally and physically to be at your best for all these events?What is difficult for us is that we are never sure to compete for the rest of the season. For example, after the first stage of the World Cup, I was convinced that I would make the trip to Colombia because I had earned my spot, but I was informed only a few days ago that I was selected for the last World Cup stage in Poland, and obviously we don’t know yet the names of the athletes qualified for the World Cup Finals, and this is without even speaking of the World Championships, for which we don’t know yet who is selected. Therefore we cannot really plan for the season. As with qualification rounds, I’m not a specialist of trials events either. This year for example, I ended up in fourth place at the World Cup trials, but I was lucky to make the trip anyway. I will have to work harder; if not I risk watching the World Championships from home. In the end, the hardest part is to be far from our everyday routine so many times in the year. To be in Colombia from 10 to 30 July seems like a never ending period of time, because we are outside of everything, all we have is archery, and we miss everything else. Upon returning to France, I am not going to train immediately for the next World Cup stage - I’m going to take two or three days for myself.
You have been in Colombia for three weeks now. What can you tell us about your stay in Medellin first, and now in Cali?The Medellin World Cup was very well organised except for some small transport issues that were not a problem. The scenery was superb and the city of Medellin was rather pretty; we had the time to go sightseeing and our hotel was located in a good neighbourhood. To now be here in Cali for a competition that has a different format and fewer archers is not an easy transition. There is a lot of stress and there are expectations to live up to.
How do you see your immediate and more distant future?(She smiles)… I would like to know more and plan the future. Regarding archery, I will continue to be dedicated and to travel a little more and take part in smaller scale competitions counting for the world ranking. I will also pursue my work as a coach and accept the coaching assignments that I will be offered, which is the only option that allows me to leave for several weeks and to combine work, studies and archery. I have just graduated with my Master II (university degree), so I have a diploma, but I’m going to continue my studies during the next year. 
So you don’t see yourself necessarily in archery forever?All I know is that I’m going to get into management until I find something that I really like, and for now I’ll continue shooting while preparing for my future. I can’t imagine archery without imagining the highest level, the World Cup events and the major competitions; it is what I like, and I hope to stay for a long time.
Go to Pascal LEBEQUE’s biography.
World Archery Communication