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For the first time in his archery career, Chris Kent-Rodgman wasn’t too picky about the colour of the medal he brought home from the World Archery Field Championships.
“It’s going to be a long time before anybody finds me in a bad mood,” Kent-Rodgman said.
Kent-Rodgman made national history last weekend in Yankton, South Dakota, becoming the first Canadian archer to win a medal at the World Archery Field Championships.
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The Saskatoon product defeated Sweden’s Leo Pettersson 49-42 in the bronze-medal match of the men’s barebow competition Sunday to reach the podium for the first time in his international career.
“To get the first individual world-level medal for our category for Canada, I was incredibly proud,” Kent-Rodgman said.
“The whole team was there. There were actually people showing up for the 3D competition early so they could watch the bronze-medal match.”
It’s been a rapid ascent to the world championship podium for the soon-to-be 42-year-old, just five years into his archery career after first picking up the sport in 2021.
Kent-Rodgman said it’s unbelievable to call himself the first Canadian medallist in the discipline and one of the top three barebow archers in the world.
“It’s crazy to think about,” Kent-Rodgman said.
“There’s been a lot of fantastic athletes ahead of me and we have had a few who have achieved things in other categories. To get the first medal in field, which is known as one of the most difficult disciplines, is incredible.”
Near-constant rain in Yankton forced competitors such as Kent-Rodgman to face difficult shooting conditions throughout the week, with slippery platforms and reduced visibility of targets.
Despite the conditions, Kent-Rodgman finished the first day of qualification in fifth place.
“I like those adverse conditions,” Kent-Rodgman said. “My go-to is to let everyone else be upset about it but me.”
After dropping to 10th place on the second day of qualifying, Kent-Rodgman picked up back-to-back wins in the elimination stage over 2000 Olympic gold medallist Simon Fairweather and Italy’s Matteo Uggeri to reach the semifinals.
Matched against one of the sport’s all-time greats in Sweden’s Erik Jonsson, Kent-Rodgman struggled to recover from an early miss and suffered a 59-46 loss, ending his hopes of a gold medal.
“Basically everyone that I know in the business has lost to him at some point,” Kent-Rodgman said. “It was a tough semifinal. I had to get through something mentally there.”
Kent-Rodgman had to quickly adjust for the bronze-medal match, where he faced Pettersson with a spot on the podium on the line.
With a final target suspended 50 metres in the air from a crane, Kent-Rodgman closed out the competition with a rebound performance to bring a bronze medal back to Canada.
Saskatoon archer Chris Kent Rodgman defeated Sweden’s Leo Pettersson 49-42 in the final of the men’s barebow. (Archery Canada/Facebook) competition at the 2026 World Archery Field Championships
“I knew I could bring it back,” Kent-Rodgman said. “I had done it. I proved to myself that I could do it. Even though I lost the semifinal and made a big mistake there, I knew what that mistake was.”
Kent-Rodgman was inspired by his two daughters to take up archery in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to enjoy a sport together.
As he stood on the rain-soaked podium with a maple leaf on his uniform, those were the memories he thought of and the role his family played in helping him secure his first international medal.
“They wanted to wear the medal immediately when I got home,” Kent-Rodgman said. “They’re talking about it with all their friends as well. Part of the fun is seeing the excitement in them.”
The bronze medal wasn’t the only big news for Saskatchewan’s archery community this week, as the City of Regina Fieldhouse was announced as the host site for the 2027 Canadian 3D Indoor Championships from March 18 to 21, 2027.
Though 3D archery with foam animal targets isn’t Kent-Rodgman’s usual discipline, he’s looking to spend more time in the sport with the national championships coming to Saskatchewan.
“It doesn’t come into our backyard very often,” Kent-Rodgman said. “The national championships in Regina are going to be great. I’m definitely going to be attending that one as well and shooting a little more 3D.”
Kent-Rodgman will now prepare for the indoor season, with the prestigious Lancaster Archery Classic ahead in January, while helping the local Saskatoon Straight Shooters Archery Club transition into a new facility in November.
