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Athlete of the Week: Simon TERRY (GBR)
Antalya – 1 May 2012
Simon TERRY at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games 
Simon TERRY just qualified for the team that will represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, twenty years after winning two surprise bronze medals at the Barcelona Games.
Great Britain’s Simon TERRY surprised himself and the world by winning two bronze medals as an 18-year-old at the 1992 Olympic Games. The young archer, who had taken part in only one or two major international competitions before, was just hoping to place among the top 32 individually.
Twenty years later, the Briton will be back at the Olympics on home ground. This time the situation is very different.
TERRY came back to archery in 2005 after 11 years out of the sport. He had retired from archery in 1994, just two years after Barcelona, at age 20. After 11 years of shooting, the young TERRY had lost his enthusiasm and drive for the sport. He did not touch a bow at all until 2005.
Simon TERRY picked up his bow and arrows just for fun—and it all snowballed from there. After just one year of training he came 4th at European Indoor Championships in 2006. He went on to win the team silver medal at the World Championships in Leipzig 2007, where he also placed 4th individually. He was among the top contenders of the World Cup in 2009, winning the Stage 3 in Antalya and placing 2nd at the Final.
Finally, last week Simon TERRY qualified for the team that will represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
You will represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, twenty years after winning two bronze medals at the Barcelona Games. What does it mean to you?
It feels good after what happened in Beijing. Beijing was my first Olympics back after my 10-year rest. Things didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped. So we’ve got to improve on that, and especially do well with the home Games.
Do you feel more pressure competing in your own country?
None really. I look at it in a way that makes me relax: I see it as just another World Cup, it’s the same faces you see and, to be honest, there is less people there. I stopped putting pressure on myself to do well. I learned from my mistakes, and we’ll go from there.
Do you have any expectations?
No, none whatsoever. Just shoot the very best that I can. If I shoot well, I’m happy with that, and if I lose, I’ll also be happy. You have to focus on what you’re doing and not on what the opposition does. As long as I’m happy with what I do, then what else could I do?
How different is it to compete nowadays under the new rules compared to 1992?
At the start I did find it was difficult, when I came back into the sport. It’s more of a sprint, I found, than in 1992, when it was a marathon. Back then you just kept shooting in the 9 and in the 10s and it was enough, whereas now you have to hit 10s to do well, you can’t really afford to have reds. But you get used to it in the end.
With teammate Larry GODFREY in Leipzig 2007 
This implies that the mental game has become much more important than it once was?
Yes. Mental definitely matters. It’s the brain that shoots. I have my own sport psychologist. We just do simple things, the way I shoot is not complicated. I’ve been shooting great during the winter and things improved dramatically from last year, so hopefully I’ll keep on going and just enjoy it.
How has your approach changed from the old days?
It’s a good question. I look at it differently. In Barcelona I only ran there to qualify in the top 32. I came 20th in qualifications. In my group I remember I had Vladimir ESHEEV (RUS) and Jay BARRS (USA), and beating them was like, wow, what’s going on! I didn’t really realise what was happening until I thought, I’ve won myself a medal! Then I shot well in 2007 at the World Championships in Leipzig and I came 4th, Alan WILLS came 3rd, and we got 2nd in the team. We put too much pressure on ourselves in Beijing to do well and I was convinced that we could medal in the team. It just didn’t happen. So you learn a lot from that. Hopefully it all comes together this year.
How different is it to compete as a teenager and as an adult?
You think more when you’re older. So I try to stop doing that a little bit and try to come back to where I was when I was a young boy hopefully, if I could get rid of the grey hair it would be nice!
Do you receive governmental support to shoot full-time or do you have to work?
Fortunately I can concentrate full-time on the archery. I’ve been lottery funded from UK Sport since 2007-2008. We’re in a fortunate position that we can do that, but we have to do that: we compete with the rest of the world. So far so good!
So you train more hours than twenty years ago?
Yes, absolutely. I wasn’t shooting more than three or four times a week back in the old days. Now I shoot four times during the week, have Fridays off and usually shoot competitions in the weekends.
What are your assets over younger competitors?
Assets? No, I don’t have any. I wish I could go back to when I was younger, it was carefree days then. However I enjoy it more now, I enjoyed it back then but I enjoy it a lot more now. I made really good friends, for example one of my teammates invited me to his wedding. I enjoy it!
Do you plan to go on competing after the Games?
I think so. It all depends what will happen this year, and the funding will be decided at the end of this year. I’d be happy to carry on, even if I have to go back to work. Fortunately I don’t have to work that much. I think I will do pretty much the same as I do now.
Is there anything else you would like to add!
If you could make it stop raining in Britain! (Laughs)
With Al WILLS and Larry GODFREY in Beijing
Biography Extract:
Simon TERRY (GBR) – Born on 27 March 1974
6th Team World Championships Turin 2011 1st Team European Grand Prix Antalya 2011 3rd Mixed Team European Championships Rovereto 2010 3rd Individual World Cup Porec 2010 2nd Individual World Cup Final Copenhagen 2009 1st Individual World Cup Antalya 2009 2nd Team World Cup Santo Domingo 2009 3rd Individual World Cup Santo Domingo 2009 4th Team Indoor World Championships Rzeszow 2009 12th Team Olympic Games Beijing 2008 3rd Individual World Cup Dover 2007 3rd Team World Cup Dover 2007 4th Individual World Championships Leipzig 2007 2nd Team World Championships Leipzig 2007 1st Team World Cup Varese 2007 3rd Team World Cup San Salvador 2006 2nd Team World Cup Antalya 2006 3rd Individual Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 3rd Team Olympic Games Barcelona 1992
More information on Simon TERRY and all archers at the World Archery website.
World Archery Communication
Simon TERRY just qualified for the team that will represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, twenty years after winning two surprise bronze medals at the Barcelona Games.
Great Britain’s Simon TERRY surprised himself and the world by winning two bronze medals as an 18-year-old at the 1992 Olympic Games. The young archer, who had taken part in only one or two major international competitions before, was just hoping to place among the top 32 individually.
Twenty years later, the Briton will be back at the Olympics on home ground. This time the situation is very different.
TERRY came back to archery in 2005 after 11 years out of the sport. He had retired from archery in 1994, just two years after Barcelona, at age 20. After 11 years of shooting, the young TERRY had lost his enthusiasm and drive for the sport. He did not touch a bow at all until 2005.
Simon TERRY picked up his bow and arrows just for fun—and it all snowballed from there. After just one year of training he came 4th at European Indoor Championships in 2006. He went on to win the team silver medal at the World Championships in Leipzig 2007, where he also placed 4th individually. He was among the top contenders of the World Cup in 2009, winning the Stage 3 in Antalya and placing 2nd at the Final.
Finally, last week Simon TERRY qualified for the team that will represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
You will represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, twenty years after winning two bronze medals at the Barcelona Games. What does it mean to you?
It feels good after what happened in Beijing. Beijing was my first Olympics back after my 10-year rest. Things didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped. So we’ve got to improve on that, and especially do well with the home Games.
Do you feel more pressure competing in your own country?
None really. I look at it in a way that makes me relax: I see it as just another World Cup, it’s the same faces you see and, to be honest, there is less people there. I stopped putting pressure on myself to do well. I learned from my mistakes, and we’ll go from there.
Do you have any expectations?
No, none whatsoever. Just shoot the very best that I can. If I shoot well, I’m happy with that, and if I lose, I’ll also be happy. You have to focus on what you’re doing and not on what the opposition does. As long as I’m happy with what I do, then what else could I do?
How different is it to compete nowadays under the new rules compared to 1992?
At the start I did find it was difficult, when I came back into the sport. It’s more of a sprint, I found, than in 1992, when it was a marathon. Back then you just kept shooting in the 9 and in the 10s and it was enough, whereas now you have to hit 10s to do well, you can’t really afford to have reds. But you get used to it in the end.
With teammate Larry GODFREY in Leipzig 2007 This implies that the mental game has become much more important than it once was?
Yes. Mental definitely matters. It’s the brain that shoots. I have my own sport psychologist. We just do simple things, the way I shoot is not complicated. I’ve been shooting great during the winter and things improved dramatically from last year, so hopefully I’ll keep on going and just enjoy it.
How has your approach changed from the old days?
It’s a good question. I look at it differently. In Barcelona I only ran there to qualify in the top 32. I came 20th in qualifications. In my group I remember I had Vladimir ESHEEV (RUS) and Jay BARRS (USA), and beating them was like, wow, what’s going on! I didn’t really realise what was happening until I thought, I’ve won myself a medal! Then I shot well in 2007 at the World Championships in Leipzig and I came 4th, Alan WILLS came 3rd, and we got 2nd in the team. We put too much pressure on ourselves in Beijing to do well and I was convinced that we could medal in the team. It just didn’t happen. So you learn a lot from that. Hopefully it all comes together this year.
How different is it to compete as a teenager and as an adult?
You think more when you’re older. So I try to stop doing that a little bit and try to come back to where I was when I was a young boy hopefully, if I could get rid of the grey hair it would be nice!
Do you receive governmental support to shoot full-time or do you have to work?
Fortunately I can concentrate full-time on the archery. I’ve been lottery funded from UK Sport since 2007-2008. We’re in a fortunate position that we can do that, but we have to do that: we compete with the rest of the world. So far so good!
So you train more hours than twenty years ago?
Yes, absolutely. I wasn’t shooting more than three or four times a week back in the old days. Now I shoot four times during the week, have Fridays off and usually shoot competitions in the weekends.
What are your assets over younger competitors?
Assets? No, I don’t have any. I wish I could go back to when I was younger, it was carefree days then. However I enjoy it more now, I enjoyed it back then but I enjoy it a lot more now. I made really good friends, for example one of my teammates invited me to his wedding. I enjoy it!
Do you plan to go on competing after the Games?
I think so. It all depends what will happen this year, and the funding will be decided at the end of this year. I’d be happy to carry on, even if I have to go back to work. Fortunately I don’t have to work that much. I think I will do pretty much the same as I do now.
Is there anything else you would like to add!
If you could make it stop raining in Britain! (Laughs)
With Al WILLS and Larry GODFREY in BeijingBiography Extract:
Simon TERRY (GBR) – Born on 27 March 1974
6th Team World Championships Turin 2011 1st Team European Grand Prix Antalya 2011 3rd Mixed Team European Championships Rovereto 2010 3rd Individual World Cup Porec 2010 2nd Individual World Cup Final Copenhagen 2009 1st Individual World Cup Antalya 2009 2nd Team World Cup Santo Domingo 2009 3rd Individual World Cup Santo Domingo 2009 4th Team Indoor World Championships Rzeszow 2009 12th Team Olympic Games Beijing 2008 3rd Individual World Cup Dover 2007 3rd Team World Cup Dover 2007 4th Individual World Championships Leipzig 2007 2nd Team World Championships Leipzig 2007 1st Team World Cup Varese 2007 3rd Team World Cup San Salvador 2006 2nd Team World Cup Antalya 2006 3rd Individual Olympic Games Barcelona 1992 3rd Team Olympic Games Barcelona 1992
More information on Simon TERRY and all archers at the World Archery website.
World Archery Communication
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