Nerves get the better of Malaysian archer in quarter-finals

MALAYSIAN archer Cheng Chu Sian experienced the high and low of victory and defeat on the same day yesterday.

In the morning, Chu Sian raised hopes of Malaysia’s first medal of the Games when he scored an upset sudden-death win over South Korea’s Lee Chang-hwan, the Olympic record holder, in the last 16.

Both were tied at 105-105 after the first 12 arrows. In the shoot-out, both scored a nine with the first arrow.

In the second, Chang-hwan went first and again struck a nine.

Chu Sian took aim and hit the centre of the board for the second time in the third-round clash and the arena erupted with joy as the Korean fans were stunned into silence.

Chang-hwan had set the Olympic record of 117 out of a perfect 120 in the early rounds of the individual competition on Wednesday.

Chu Sian must have felt like he was walking on air after that.

Hopes were high when he took on Russia’s Badenov Bair in the quarter-finals in the afternoon.

That’s when he was brought down to earth with a thump. Chu Sian was a bundle of nerves and lost 104-109 to the Russian.

Hopes were high on Chu Sian to break into the semi-finals and a shot at making history but his hopes disappeared when he shot a seven with his first arrow in the second end.

Chu Sian and the Russian were tied at 27-all after the first round but found himself trailing by three points after the second end.

The Russian extended his lead to four after the third end and a place in the semi-finals was his for the taking after Chu Sian started with another seven in the fourth end.

“I was under a bit of pressure going into the second round. Hitting a seven is unavoidable ... I tried my best. I am disappointed not to have reached the semi-finals,” said Chu Sian, who plans to take a long break after this.

“We have been training for nearly a year without break for the Olympics. Next year, our main aim will be the World Championships in South Korea.”

Bair later went on to lose in sudden-death to Viktor Ruban of Ukraine in the semi-finals before beating Mexican Serrano Juan Rene 115-110 for the bronze later.

In the final, Viktor Ruban of Ukraine beat South Korea’s Park Kyung-Mo 113-112 for the gold medal

The Star