Actress Davis’ Olympic Bid Falls Short

Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis lost her bid to be an Olympic archer, but she said she loves the challenge and will try again in four years.

“I think I did well. I was very happy,” Davis said Saturday after finishing 24th out of 28 women competing in the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic trials.

Davis, 42, made it to the semifinals only two years after taking her first lesson. The top 16 archers advanced to today’s second round.

Her coach, Don Rabska of Van Nuys, said she was having trouble adapting to the rain.

“It’s tough for us because we never get to practice in the rain in California,” he said. “It caught her a little off guard.”

Davis said the first serious media attention in her two years as an archer also distracted her a bit.

“I was ill-prepared for this onslaught,” she said. “It was like being at a premiere.”

The star of “Thelma & Louise” and “The Accidental Tourist”--for which she won an Academy Award in 1988--was inspired to take up archery after watching Justin Huish of Simi Valley win two gold medals at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Few people knew of Davis’ hobby until she finished 29th out of 300 women in Ohio to qualify for the Olympic trial semifinals. On Saturday, reporters blanketed this small suburban park along with about 40 movie fans who watched from behind a rope.

Davis said she loves to challenge herself and wants to stay with archery “to see how good I can get.” She said she will try out for the Olympics again in four years.

Janet Dykman, 45, a 1996 Olympian, and Denise Parker, a two-time Olympian, were among the group to advance, while Huish was among the 16 men to advance.