THE country’s top female shooters, Franchette Quiroz and Amparo Acuna, are now in Rio de Janeiro for the last leg of the Paris Olympic qualifiers.
Quiroz and Acuna went to Brazil, some 10 days earlier to be in a training camp, just before the start of the 2024 International Shooting Sports Federation’s World Olympic Qualification Tournament for rifle and pistol from April 11 to 19.
“We will be there for a training camp, right before the start of competitions,” said Quiroz.
Last January, Quiroz’s chances of reaching the Paris Olympics got boosted again after her Olympic and world rankings rose.
Back then, the 27-year-old Quiroz, got her highest grade in the Qualification Ranking for the Olympic Games at no. 70 in the women’s 25-meter air pistol event.
This was after Quiroz tallied 850 points to move up to no. 8 in the world rankings.
This week, Quiroz slightly dropped to no. 76, in the Olympic rankings, and to no. 18 in the world level.
Quiroz took a two-month break from competitions, while undergoing intensive training under Qatari coach Murad Hanov at the Philippine Marine Shooting Range in Taguig.
In the 10-meter event, Quiroz dipped from no. 80 to no. 92 in the Olympic rankings, with her world ranking moving down from no. 22 to 82.
Quiroz’s shift of fortunes came after she shattered two national records after during the ongoing 2024 Asian Rifle and Pistol Olympic Qualifications meet in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Hanov has been coaching Quiroz since last year. She has since surpassed the Philippine marks in the women’s 25-meter air pistol and the 10-meter competitions.
Quiroz also accomplished these using a new equipment, a Morini with electronic sights for the 10-meter event, and a Italian Pardini pistol for her 25-meter event.
Acuna, who is also in contention for seats in the Paris Games, has also made progress as she reached the finals of the 25-meter action while in Jakarta for an Olympic qualifier also last January.
The 26-year old Acuna, who is also getting training support from Hanov, now has an Olympic rank of 167, from 152 last January, in the women’s 10-meter air rifle, while she went from 153 to 146 in the 50-meter rifle 3-position category.