Whitehorse archery ace Emmett Kapaniuk is seeking more gold at the 2023 Arctic Winter Games in Wood Buffalo, Alta.

Kapaniuk and his teammate Delia Therriault won gold in the Team Compound Mix competition Tuesday.

“It was great to be able to do that event because sometimes you might not be able to just because of the way formatting is, at other tournaments. So this was the first time I was able to do it at an indoor event and it went well. I shot the best I’ve ever shot, even outside of practice.

“My teammate did great too. So we had a really good team. We were able to just work our way through and slowly pick up points each round to the point where we could just coast through. Then the final match, that one was a lot closer than the rest of them. We only won by two points.”

Kapaniuk figured the score of the final match against Alberta North was 145-143.

“The first four arrows they actually had a point on us. So we were down right off the bat. We were able to pick up a couple of points for the next few ends and then just able to continue that momentum.”

(Kapaniuk said they shot four rounds per mixed team match. Each archer shot two arrows per end, and there are four ends in a match. So they shot eight arrows each, for 16 arrows in total.)

Kapaniuk is now competing in the Individual Compound 2004 or later Male competition.

“Yesterday I felt really great going into qualifications knowing that I just came off that gold medal win. So it was a good confidence booster.”

Kapaniuk pointed out that the archery team actually came home with a gold, silver and bronze that day.

“I don’t know if we were expecting that big of a medal turnout, but everyone was super excited. Everyone was shooting super well. So I’m glad it played out the way it did.

“Everyone was feeling good and everyone was enjoying being able to finally start competing since we flew in Saturday morning, didn’t shoot Saturday or Sunday. Got a bit of practice time on Monday. So I think we were all just really eager to get going.”

Kapaniuk attributes his and the team’s success to a few factors.

“Of course my coaches. My dad’s my main coach. He’s not down here right now, due to work conflicts, but just a good team behind me. Lots of support. We had lots of people cheering us on.

“Quite a few of the parents came down. Good vibes is what I would put lots of credit to and of course my teammate for shooting her good shots and just overall the whole team.”

When asked if winning a team competition makes it a little more special, Kapaniuk replied “I would say so because Individual, it’s just yourself, you’re putting all your trust on yourself. With the team I was putting my trust in my teammate too and to see it pay off, putting all your trust and all your work into that, it just feels great.”

Kapaniuk led the first Individual round over teammate Hayden Wallace by a mere seven points (567-560) after Wednesday’s first round.

“I unluckily had my sight malfunction in the last six arrows,” he recalled. “So my sight came a little bit loose so it was moving around a little bit so I couldn’t quite get the shots I was wanting but I was still able to keep it inside the yellow, the nine ring, so … Hayden was able to pick up a few points those last two ends.”

“It’s going to be a tight one tonight.

“That was his best he’s ever shot inside practice or competition. That was his best score. Competition either drops people down really hard or it takes them to a new level. It’s definitely picking him up to a new level,” added Kapaniuk.

Kapaniuk said that competing in the debut of archery at the Arctics is special.

“It was supposed to be in the 2020 (AWG) of course. So to be able to actually be able to come to this one, and be able to shoot after we push for it so hard for when it was supposed to be in Whitehorse, it feels awesome. Just to actually have the chance to be here and not just have Canada Winter Games as the one competition we can go to out of the games.”

For the most part, Kanapiuk is focused on the task at hand but has taken some time out for other activities at the Games.

“I’m usually a pretty competition-focused guy when I’m down here but I’ve been watching lots of the hockey games because most of my friends are playing in those. That’s kind of my relaxing time is going to watch the other games.

“Some of my teammates have gotten really big into the pin trading so I’ve been able to trade a few pins with them. I see how much they enjoy doing it, so I just gave them my pins. I got a pin I wanted so it’s all working out in the end.”

Despite his razor-sharp focus on these games, Kapaniuk can’t help but look ahead to the upcoming Canada Games in P.E.I. (Feb. 27-March 5 for archery).

“Overall in the bigger picture, of course, I’m thinking of that one, but I’m trying my best just to think about this one but I know Canada Games there’s gonna be some really stiff competition. Some of the best shooters in the world are gonna be down there. One of the people I’m shooting against is currently the U21 world champion. So this one, it feels like a good warm up. And then that one’s gonna be the big show.”

Dustin Watson, of Douro, Ontario is the defending U21 world champ.

“He was one of my teammates when I was down at the Pan Am’s last year,” related Kapaniuk. “I’ve got to shoot against him.”

Kapaniuk again edged Wallace in the second Individual Compound 2004 Male round Thursday, 564-549.