Weather, Mental Factors Made Riau Fail to Clinch Olympic Medal

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian archery athlete Riau Ega Agatha (24), suprised everyone at the recently concluded Olympic Games. He beat South Korea's World Number One Kim Woo-jin at the second round.

Unfortunately, Riau's campaign was stopped by Italy's Mauro Nespoli on the third round with the final score 0-6. Riau said that it was the mental and weather factors that made him fail to win a medal.

"It was drizzling and the wind was strong," he said in Surabaya on Wednesday (24/8).

He added that the condition made his body shiver with cold.

Riau went on to say that he was also not mentally prepared to compete and his nerve got the best of him during the match.

"But I've done my best to compete at the Olympics," he added.

Riau also said that he has to deal with the weather factor and the mental factor if he wants to deliver maximum results at international competition.

One of the ways, he added, is by competing in more international tournaments.

"I hope I can do more in the next tournaments, he said.

In the meantime, Indonesian archery coach Denny Trisyanto admitted he did not anticipate the weather factor, which could determine the overall result.

According to Denny, Indonesian archery athletes including Riau has never competed in countries with cold weather and the athletes have always trained in tropical weather so far.

"It becomes our big evaluation," Denny said.

EDWIN FAJERIAL