Redemption comes quickly for Italian archer Gloria Filippi - Bronze for Singapore

Italy's Gloria Filippi bounced back from heartache in the junior women’s individual archery event on Wednesday to claim a gold medal in the mixed team competition on Thursday with Anton Karoukin. Singaporean archer Abdud Dayyan Bin Mohamed Jaffar holds nerve to take mixed-team bronze with Bengunhan Elif Unsal (TUR).   Filippi was in tears on Wednesday after squandering a 4-0 lead to lose her individual elimination match 6-4 to Australia’s Alice Ingley.   The 18-year-old cried tears of joy on Thursday when she won the gold medal match in the mixed team event alongside Anton Karoukin of Belarus. The was match was deadlocked at 3-3 after three sets but Filippi and Karoukin eventually triumphed 7-3 after hitting four 10s and four nines in the last two sets. They beat the pairing of Greek Zoi Paraskevopoulou and Slovenian Gregor Rajh. "I feel lots of new emotions," she said. “It was a dream."   Team official Paola Bertone said Filippi's preparation had paid off. "She worked very hard to come here ready," she said. "Yesterday was not so good for her because she was eliminated in the individual competition, but today was wonderful."   Karoukin had also lost his individual match on Wednesday, and said the mixed team gold was a great way to finish the competition. "It was very cool and exciting to win gold. The competition was difficult, the level was high, and all were tough rivals," he said.   As the 25th-ranked pairing, Paraskevopoulou and Rajh exceeded all expectations to reach the gold medal match against their second-ranked opponents, and the Slovenian was pleased with the result. "I'm still kind of surprised to have won the silver medal," Rajh said. "Obviously when we qualified for the gold medal match we wanted to win, but we are very happy with silver."   Singaporean archer Abdud Dayyan Bin Mohamed Jaffar hit a 10 with his final arrow in a tense shoot-off to secure the bronze medal in the mixed team event alongside partner Bengunhan Elif Unsal (TUR).   Needing a perfect 10 for victory against Miriam Alarcon (ESP) and Emdadul Haque Milon (BAN) with the match tied 5-5 after five sets, Mohamed Jaffar withstood the pressure in front of a vocal home crowd at Kallang Field.   "When I went to shoot I was already thinking I would be the loser, but I shot it really well," he said.   "I didn't expect too much going into this competition so I am really happy and excited. I'm very proud to be Singaporean."   Mohd Jaffar said the backing of a large crowd that included IOC president Jacques Rogge and Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee chairman Ng Ser Miang had been welcome but also added to the tension he felt.   "It made me a little nervous at times but I’m very happy they were here to support me. They made me feel relaxed.   Archery continues on Friday at Kallang Field with the junior women’s individual event.   YONS kt/ap/tc-mc   Edited by World Archery Communication