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Archery pits the individual against personal pressure

Taiwan's Yuan Shu-chi takes aim during the Women's Individual Archery event at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens. PHOTO: AP

Within the last two days in Athens, three archers in succession handed victory to their opponents with their final shots, making the Panathinaiko Stadium the most painful of venues for Taiwanese athletes, the place where they have shed the most tears.

All contests in individual sports are lonely journeys without teammates from whom to draw support. But it is the essence of archery that victory always seems to be within the athlete's own grasp, so each arrow, before it is fired, is replete with hope, as though victory can be attained in the split second that it takes for the arrow to carve the line of its flight in thin air.

"The most attractive aspect of archery competitions is their capacity for drama. At the final shot, the athlete always experiences an unprecedented sensation of pressure," said Hung Tsung-min (洪聰敏), professor and director of the Graduate Institute of Exercise and Sport Science at Taipei Physical Education College.

"There are athletes who have led all the way who fire their career-worst shots at the final shot. There are others who think they've already lost and won't live to fight another day, who, because their opponent makes a mistake, suddenly find that victory is within their grasp, as though they've just traveled from hell to heaven," said Hung, who is also a psychological consultant to Taiwan's archery team.

"I think we can describe the `individual' contests as the cruelest of sports for the archers involved," Hung said.

Indeed, one of those covering her face and weeping at this venue where the modern Olympics began 108 years ago, was 19-year old Yuan Shu-chi (袁叔琪), who had described herself as unafraid of any pressure whatsoever. Another who lost with her final shot and wept a flood of heart-wrenching tears was Wu Hui-ju (吳蕙如).

On Aug. 18, the 25-year old Wu faced South Korea's Lee Sung-jin in the quarterfinal competition. In the twelve-arrow contest, she led by three points after the first nine shots, but in the final round (the 10th to 12th shots), overcome by nerves, she made her worst shot of seven points allowing her opponent to draw level.

The tide to began to turn; with the pressure apparently seizing her entire person after Lee secured ten points with her final shot, Wu shot a nine, throwing away Taiwan's hopes with a deficit of one point.

If Wu had won that shoot, she might have faced her compatriot and teammate, Yuan, guaranteeing Taiwan at least a silver medal with an opportunity for a bronze. But Wu's defeat signaled the beginning of a series of tragedies.

The next to go was Yuan.

Having worked hard to defeat reigning Olympic champion Yun Mi-jun of South Korea, in the semifinal Yuan faced Wu's conqueror, Lee Sung-jin. Apparently having made inadequate preparations, she shot four seven-points arrows, and was comfortably defeated by Lee 98-104.

But Yuan still had the consolation prize of a bronze medal to shoot for and all observers felt that she had the ability and the opportunity to secure Taiwan's first medal of the Athens Olympics.

To their surprise, however, having led all the way, with her ninth arrow Yuan shot the worst seven points seen in this stadium, allowing her opponent, England archer Allison Williamson, to draw level.

Then, with the two athletes neck and neck at the final shot, Williamson meekly shot an eight points. She herself clearly thought she had thrown away the contest; all we could see was her shaking her head remorsefully towards her coach. To everyone's surprise, however, Yuan then shot an even worse seven points, handing the bronze medal to Williamson.

"Everybody said Yuan Shu-chi was the most naturally gifted athlete and the one least capable of being defeated by pressure. But after this defeat, I believe that she has learned the lesson that a good athlete knows how to harness pressure appropriately to keep themselves in optimum condition, uneasily distracted by the external situation," said Tang Wen-tzu (湯文慈), assistant professor at the Graduate Institute of Coaching Science at the National College of Physical Education and Sports.

But the drama wasn't over. On the afternoon of Aug. 19, Taiwan's male archer Chen Szu-yuan (陳詩園), carrying the hopes of the whole of Taiwan on his shoulders, suffered the same fate as his two teammates, losing his quarterfinal bout with the last shot. With his first nine arrows, he had shot a brilliant six Deka (tens), and was leading Britain's Laurence Godfrey.

To the surprise, once more, of spectators and a global television audience, with his three arrows of the final round, Chen completely lost his rhythm, raised his bow up and down nervously several times and took deep breaths continuously in a bid to steady himself. But he couldn't conquer the pressure and shot a meager seven points with his tenth arrow. His next was an eight, allowing Godfrey to draw level. Once more, it came down to the final shot. Godfrey shot a nine. Chen raised his bow, got ready, then nervously put his bow down again, raised it a second time and finally shot, only to score another inadequate seven.

That was the arrow that broke the hearts of the Taiwanese spectators who were present or watching on television.

"At the Olympic Games, this Mecca of top-level competition, the essence of victory is not whether the athlete's technique is good or not, but whether his mind is strong enough," said Tang Chin-lan (湯金蘭). "So, one is one's own worst enemy; you can only secure victory if you first conquer the pressures that exist in your mind."

Tang believes that coaches have in the past explained this to the athletes concerned and he urges them to prepare their minds for the next contest as soon as they suffer any defeat in a major competition.

"After all," he says," Yuan Shu-chi is too young, a child of 19. Her experience at this Olympics is the best possible lesson for the athletes that victory always seems to be in front of one's eyes but wriggling out of reach; you can only enjoy it when you have conquered yourself."
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