Flash quotes from the official practice

Comments from the athletes, officials and officers after official practice at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Thursday.   Men   Dmytro HRACHOV (UKR)   On how he will approach the competition: "All the competitors are very strong including myself. The most important and difficult thing is to beat myself, not the other competitors."   Michele FRANGILLI (ITA)   On what he finds distracting: "It’s my fourth Olympic Games and the most distracting things I have found are the size of the crowd and the clicks from the cameras. Those clicks are similar to the sound of my clicker (a device used to indicate an archer’s optimum draw length)."   On his motivation: "I want to win for my mother’s sake, who died in 2005 while I was competing at the European indoor championships."   On his expectations: "In the 1996 Olympics I shot a world record 684 out of maximum 720. This year my best is 682, but last year it was 686. Here in London I’ll try to beat my personal record because I know I can do it."   On archery: "Archery is simple to watch but hard to play. It’s very complicated. It is affected by wind, rain, temperature and movement of the sun. Archery is the game of the mind and requires constant practice but it’s very rewarding when you see your arrows flying to the 10."   Emanuele GUIDI (SMR)   On shooting for San Marino: "I have only done archery for four years. With San Marino, it is possible for me to go into the international competitions."   On being one of only four athletes from San Marino at the London 2012 Olympic Games:
"It makes it easy for me (laughs)."   Luis ALVAREZ (MEX)   On the other competitors: "I am friends with some of the athletes so we share some information, but there are some things that I didn’t know about other athletes. For example, I had no idea that IM Dong-Hyun (KOR) had problems with his vision."   On the ice patch he wrapped around his left arm: "When shooting, the left arm requires very much tension, so after practice it is good to have some ice around."   On his wristbands: "Friends of mine gave me wristbands for good luck so I always wear them."

  Takaharu FURUKAWA (JPN)   On having bad eyesight: "I can’t see the target clearly but it is the ‘feeling’ that is important, just like what IM Dong-Hyun (KOR) says about his eyesight."   On his favourite food in Great Britain: "I have tried British breakfast, and I fell in love with British sausages."   On being the leader of the men’s team: "Until last year, I tried to take care of the team by encouraging the members, telling them not to make mistakes, but because of all the attention I was giving to the team, I began to lose concentration and became the target of blame. So I decided not to do anything for the team in the Olympics (laughs)."

Women   Deepika KUMARI (IND) – women’s world No.1 archer   On whether there is any pressure on her from back home: "There is no pressure on me. There is a lot of interest back home. So many people back home will be watching, but they are wishing me all the best."   On the illness she was suffering last week: "I am feeling much better now. Last week it was very hard with the very cold weather, but now it is warm I hope it continues like this. I am excited for the competition if the weather stays like this."   Natalia LESNIAK (POL)   On archery in Poland: "In Poland archery is not a popular sport. Not many people know what archery is about. When I mention archery everyone thinks about Robin Hood."   "My mother introduced me to the sport and now I’m here at the London 2012 Olympic Games. My dream came true."   On music during training: "I really like music during my practice, especially dance music. Back home, for example, when I feel sleepy I turn to rock or heavy metal that helps me to wake up and shoot better. I don’t like it when it is quiet because I can hear other coaches and that distracts me."   Carina CHRISTIANSEN (DEN)   On her plans after the Olympics: "I am going to look for a new job. I think I am too old for my previous job. I worked for a service manager in a textile company. I am going to travel to Australia too, because my boyfriend, who is an archer, lives there and I haven’t visited him in Australia."   Karen HULTZER (RSA)   On being at her first Olympic Games: "It’s exactly what I thought it was going to be. It’s bigger than anything! It’s spectacular, but it’s still just me, shooting the arrows like my normal practice back home."   On her form during practice so far: "I’m shooting how I was at home, so I’m not shooting Xs all the time like the Koreans (laughs). But I am happy."   On being one of only two Africans in the women’s archery events: "I’m just proud to be an African at the Olympics."     Officers and Officials   Plamela MITKINA (BUL) – coach   On Yavor Vasilev HRISTOV (BUL): "Everyone here is already a winner. I believe in Yavor and always encourage him with the words ‘you can do it’. The only thing that can stop him from doing well is the wind in his head."   Marc DELLENBACH (FRA) – coach   On why the French team arrived later than most of the other teams: "We think that the competition is won in the preparation and not in the location. Also, we know this place because we were here for the test event."   On whether the late arrival was to unsettle the other teams: "It’s a little bit of strategy, perhaps. I had the same strategy at Beijing (2008), where we arrived just three days before the competition, so it was a successful strategy at Beijing."   On life in the Olympic Village: "It’s really good. The French building is in a good place and people are happy to help us. The food is good. I don’t like the quiche, but there is plenty of choice."   On transport from the Village to Lord’s: "Transport in London is the only thing I do not like. Yesterday we had to wait 20 minutes. And tomorrow we have to leave the Olympic Village at 6.10 am, which means we have to be up at 5 am. I think that is a little hard, but it is the same for all the other competitors."   KIM Soo-Nyung (KOR) – four-time Olympic champion and commentator   On how she thinks about the pressure before an Olympic Games: "For me, I didn’t get any special pressure just because of the fact that it was the Olympics, the pressure existed before any event."   On how she feels, as a former archer, when she is commentating: "When the Korean team play, I feel more nervous because as a former archer, I genuinely want the Korean team to win. I get upset when they lose and it is hard to hide the sad tone in my voice."   On what she thinks of Alison WILLIAMSON (GBR): "She was with me in Sydney and the fact that she is still here is truly amazing. But it would be absolutely impossible in Korea. I hope she does her best but, personally, I don’t want to go back to the place where I have to be under tremendous pressure."   James PARK (AUS) – coach   On bowling a cricket ball at Lord’s: "At the test event, we bought a cricket ball from the Lord’s shop and we all had a go at throwing it so every Australian could say they’d bowled at Lord’s."   On his hopes for Taylor WORTH (AUS): "Taylor has shot especially well in Ogden, it’s his best result to date. And this is such an iconic venue, there’s not an Australian alive who wouldn’t want to win here."   On his dream for the London 2012 Olympic Games: "Winning gold for Australia by beating England at Lord’s – at archery (laughs)."   Jonathan AGNEW (GBR) – former professional cricketer named commentator   On seeing Lord’s ready to hold the archery event: “I think it looks fantastic. I arrived with a sense of trepidation, but it looks great.”   On learning about the sport for his commentary commitments: “I decided early on there was no point trying to be an expert. I will have a bit of fun with it.”   On the difference between archers and cricketers: “Cricketers are usually all similar sizes, but all the athlets are different shapes and sizes of person.”   On the spectator seating on the ground: “The way they have all those spectators is fantastic. I think it will be a great atmosphere.”   Source: ONS Edited by World Archery Communication