Elisa Barnard
Australian recurve archer and 2012 Olympian.
Elisa Barnard (born 27 May 1993 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian recurve archer who won the Australian Open and the Oceania Championships, and competed for Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Barnard finished her schooling at MLC Burwood in Sydney in 2010, earning a place on the All-round Achievers List for the Higher School Certificate. She is currently in her final year of a combined Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and Bachelor of Laws degree at Macquarie University, having received a 2013 University Blue. She stands 171 cm tall and weighs 58 kg.
She took up archery after a foot injury prevented her from playing tennis or gymnastics. She holds an archery scholarship with the New South Wales Institute of Sport. In 2011, she placed first in the individual recurve event at the Australian Open in Adelaide and first at the Oceania Championships in Hamilton.
In 2012, Barnard competed in the national championships in Canberra, the World Cup 1 in China (where she finished seventeenth), the World Cup 2 in Turkey, and the World Cup 3 in the United States (the final Olympic qualifier, where she also finished seventeenth). She came first at the Oceania Championships in New Zealand in January 2012 and first at the Australian National Championships that same year.
Her father, Jonathan Barnard, president of Sydney Olympic Park Archery, was accused in court of intimidating fellow Australian archer Odette Snazelle during competitions. Some in the Australian archery community suggested Snazelle’s motives were to make Elisa Barnard ineligible for the Games so Snazelle could take her place.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Australian
- Birth Date
- 1993-05-27
- Birth Place
- Sydney, Australia
- Height
- 171 cm (2012)
- Weight
- 58 kg (2012)
- Country
- Australia
- Sport
- Archery
- Event
- Women's recurve
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Barnard took up archery after a foot injury prevented her from continuing tennis or gymnastics. She holds an archery scholarship with the New South Wales Institute of Sport. In 2011 she finished first at the Australian Open in Adelaide and first at the Oceania Championships in Hamilton. In January 2012 she won the Oceania Championships in New Zealand, and later that year she finished first at the Australian National Championships. She competed in World Cup events in China, Turkey, and the United States, finishing seventeenth at the China World Cup and seventeenth at the World Cup 3 event, which was the final Olympic qualifier. She represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Her father, Jonathan Barnard, president of Sydney Olympic Park Archery, was accused of intimidating fellow Australian archer Odette Snazelle during competitions. The matter went to court. Members of the Australian archery community implied that Snazelle's motives in accusing Barnard's father were to make Barnard ineligible for the Games so Snazelle could take her place.
Reader's Guide
Elisa Barnard's career is notable for her early success in regional and national competitions, including wins at the Australian Open and Oceania Championships, which secured her a place on the Australian Olympic team for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Her Olympic participation marked a milestone for an archer who began the sport after an injury ended other athletic pursuits. The controversy surrounding her father's legal case with fellow archer Odette Snazelle introduced a layer of dispute within the Australian archery community, with some suggesting Snazelle's accusations were aimed at displacing Barnard from the Olympic team. This unresolved tension highlights the competitive pressures and interpersonal dynamics that can accompany elite sport selection. Barnard's concurrent pursuit of a combined Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and Bachelor of Laws degree at Macquarie University, supported by a University Blue, reflects a commitment to academics alongside her athletic career. Her achievements in archery, combined with the legal and community disputes, position her as a figure whose Olympic journey intersected with both personal accomplishment and broader questions of sportsmanship and eligibility.
Did You Know?
- Barnard matriculated from MLC Burwood in Sydney in 2010 and was placed on the All-round Achievers List for the Higher School Certificate.
- Her father, Jonathan Barnard, was accused of intimidating fellow archer Odette Snazelle; the matter went to court.
- She was awarded a 2013 University Blue while studying at Macquarie University.
More in Archers of the Americas and Oceania 1-24
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