Archer Tom Hall was bitterly disappointed by the start of his Olympic campaign.

Hall, who first picked up a bow at Warwick University, got the privilege of being part of the first group of six athletes to step onto the field of play for Team GB at Paris 2024.

The ranking round, a traditional pre-Opening Ceremony curtain-raiser, is neither televised nor ticketed and involves all 128 archers shooting 72 arrows each on the same field, with total scores producing seedings for individual and team competition.

The Tokyo Olympian finished in 51st place and bemoaned tricky conditions despite the stunning backdrop of Les Invalides, a complex of buildings that includes Napoleon’s tomb.

“It’s a bit of a whirlwind and there’s definitely a bit of frustration for me,” said Hall. “I’ve felt really good and ready for this one all week.

“They were tricky conditions to shoot in and there are definitely a few arrows I’d like to have back.

“The wind was behind us and normally that’s fairly straightforward, but it was very switchable. It’s hard to read what it’s doing.

“Sometimes the targets look like there’s nothing happening but actually the arrow is going to drift a couple of rings and you feel you have to be psychic to know where to aim it. It’s really frustrating when you’ve done a good shot but not read the wind correctly.

“It was quite challenging, a stronger wind than we expected or was forecast, but it is what it is.”

Alex Wise was the leading British man, ending on a score of 664 to finish in 27th place, with Conor Hall shooting 652 for 46th place.

It means Team GB have missed out on a place in the mixed team event, with only the top 16 nations entering the draw for that one.

They will be seeded 11th out of 12 teams for Monday’s men’s team competition and will face Chinese Taipei in the first elimination round.

“As a team, every single thing we’ve done this year is going to give us confidence heading into the finals,” said Wise. “We all back ourselves on the big stage, that’s where we’re going to thrive so I’m just really looking forward to it.”

Hall’s support network will include ALDI, who have been the Official Supermarket of Team GB since 2015.

Already one of Team GB’s longest-serving partners, this partnership has now been extended to 17 years until 2032, reaffirming Aldi’s multi-million-pound investment in both Team GB and its athletes.

Hall made his Olympic debut in the sterilised environment of the pandemic Games in Tokyo and however the rest of his Games goes, he is grateful to get the chance to experience the event in all its glory.

“It’s definitely an improvement on Tokyo,” said Hall. “It’s something I worked hard to get after Tokyo wasn’t quite what we hoped it would be. I definitely enjoyed the noise and the engagement from everyone.”

Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024