By Tom Degun

US womens_archery_team_25_JuneJune 26 - The United States women's archery team of Miranda Leek, Khatuna Lorig and Jennifer Nichols has booked its spot at the Olympic Games following a qualification event in Utah – a cause for celebration after missing out on Beijing 2008.

The US men's squad of Brady Ellison, Jake Kaminski and Jacob Wukie, which is ranked number one in the world, qualified for the Olympic competition to be held at the famous Lord's cricket ground over a year ago, placing the pressure on their female colleagues to book their spot.

Leek, Lorig and Nichols (pictured top, left to right) did so in impressive fashion after defeated Romania, Belarus and Japan.

"After two Olympics and 11 years of competitive archery this was the most pressure I have ever been under," said 28-year-old Nichols, who will be competing at her third Olympics.

"But we did it."

Khatuna Lorig_25_June
Lorig (pictured above), 38, boasts even greater Olympic experience, having competed at four previous Games, winning a bronze medal at Barcelona 1992.

"In archery we, the United States, have a very strong team," she declared.

"The boys are strong and now the girls are doing great."

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Leek will be making her Olympic debut in style having also qualified for an individual spot.

"I feel like we shot really well," she said.

"We really buckled down and worked as one."

The Olympic archery competition will take place from July 27 to August 3 with 128 athletes – 64 men and the same number of women – battling it out across four medal events.

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