Quotes of third day of eliminations

Recurve Men Standing
Oleg SHESTAKOV (RUS) On his performance:
“I’m feeling excellent. Everything has gone to plan.”

On his semifinal match on Monday:
“My trainers will decide what is my next plan.”
Zafer KORKMAZ (TUR) On his opponent, SHESTAKOV:
“I’m never lucky against the Russians. I’ve faced Oleg before and, what can I say, my luck again wasn’t there. I know I beat Kenny ALLEN (GBR), the No.1 (in the ranking round) yesterday, but I’ve lost to Oleg before.”

On being knocked out of the competition:
“I’m upset, I wanted to go onto the podium. It was important to me.”

Mikhail OYUN (RUS) On the prospect of his semifinal match against teammate Oleg SHESTAKOV (RUS):
“I will be competing with my friend. I am in the mood to fight.”

On his medal chances:
“You have to earn one, it’s not enough to want one.”

Yuriy KOPIY (UKR) On losing to OYUN:
“I feel fine although I lost – it’s sport.” Eric BENNETT (USA) On his performance:
“I had a couple of ends when it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped but I shot consistently. My average is 26 (out of 30) and that’s what I was aiming for.”

On how he copes with pressure during matches:
“Every time (I play), I’m shooting pretend matches against my coach for dollars. I earned a dollar on that last set (he shot 29).”

On the windy conditions:
“I love it. I’m from Arizona and in the desert the wind blows all the time. This is winter for me, it’s nice and cool.”

On his aim for the competition:
“I want gold, that’s my goal.”

Oguzhan POLAT (TUR) On whether feeling unwell affected his performance:
“It was an unlucky day for me. I’ve been feeling unwell all morning with back pain, so it was very difficult.”

“I’m pleased to have come this far but I wasn’t good enough today. If only today was like yesterday (Satuday, when he was not suffering back pain).”

On shooting against Eric BENNETT (USA):
“I’ve never shot against Eric BENNETT before. I know he used to shoot compound and is very experienced.”

Timur TUCHINOV (RUS) On his performance:
“I’m fine and happy to be through to the semifinal. Shooting 26 (out of 30) is not very good, we have to shoot more than 27. Although hitting 30 is quite hard, we should have 27 or more in the next round.”

On whether luck is a key factor in archery:
“It is an important factor, each shot is crucial. If I make a bad shot it spoils my game.”

On the developing relationship between the Russian and Korean archers:
“We are greeting each other with a few words. We teach each other the greetings of each language.”

Roman CHAYKA (UKR) On facing world No. 1 Timur TUCHINOV (RUS):
“I was very nervous. Being ranked 23rd obviously is not the same as first. It’s my first major competition and it’s my first time at the Paralympics. I’m obviously disappointed to have been knocked out, but I’m quite happy to be amongst the last eight.”

On what he’s learned from this competition:
“Any competition gives you a push. This is when you start seeing your mistakes and improving. In the future I will worry less.”
Recurve Women Standing
Javzmaa BYAMBASUREN (MGL) On the significance of her win:
“It’s such a wonderful feeling. Archery is the national sport in Mongolia so this is big news.”

On her opponent GAO:
“She’s number one and I’m number four and it was my first time against her, so I’m doubly pleased, but I did win the Grand Prix in Bangkok (in February 2012).”

On the conditions in London:
“The weather here in London is much better than in Mongolia and this morning I was in such high spirits, because waking up in London is such a nice feeling.”

GAO Fangxia (CHN) On her performance:
“I’m unhappy, I didn’t do my best. Maybe it’s because I didn’t adjust to the target in time. I wasn’t brave enough.”
LEE Hwa Sook (KOR) On losing the first two sets:
“I was nervous from the beginning. My first shot, which was four points, was my mistake. My hand couldn’t hold the string properly so my arrow went so low. I tried to find my correct form so my play got better afterwards.”

On coming back to win the last three sets:
“My coach came to me and said ‘it’s just beginning’. I also calmed myself down and thought I still have three sets, and I could win the game. After I found my correct form I hit 10 points. COMTE also hit 10 points (both in the fourth set) but I tried to focus on my play.”

Magali COMTE (SUI) On losing to LEE Hwa Sook (KOR):
“I felt great, I went 4-0 up but I’ve played her before and she always wins. No real reasons, it’s just one of those things.”

Sharon VENNARD (GBR) On the crowd:
“I know I lost badly but the crowd was amazing. I’ve never shot in front of so many people. It really was ‘surround-crowd’.”

On the windy conditions:
“The wind was gusting, and with only 20 seconds to shoot your arrow there’s very little time to adjust. It’s so much easier in the ranking round where there’s a lot more time.”

On the tournament:
“I’ve loved everything and I’m really looking forward to the team round on Wednesday.”

On representing Northern Ireland:
“I’m one of only two Northern Ireland athletes in Team GB, so I’m very proud to have got this far.”

Milena OLSZEWSKA (POL) On the start of the match:
“I fell over just before I started shooting and grazed my knee so it was a very difficult start, and maybe the reason it went to 4-0 down. I thought ‘I’m going to pretend it’s 0-0 and I’m going to start again, otherwise I have to wait another four years (for Rio 2016)’. It’s the power of positive thinking.”

On beating world No.2 BATOROVA:
“It’s a shock. It’s my first time in the Paralympics and I’m sorry but I’m crying with happiness.”

Irina BATOROVA (RUS) On a problem with her bow affecting her performance:
“I had a slight problem with the shoulder of my bow. Because of that, the arrows were going left. We tried to adjust for it, but something happened during this match and the problem came back. To compensate, I was adjusting the sight but it just didn’t work.”

On how she has performed overall:
“I’m not satisfied with myself. I could perform better. In the future I will take my preparation seriously and I will be quite thorough when checking my bow.”

Compound Men Open

Matt STUTZMAN (USA) On competing against teammate Dugie DENTON:
“It’s so difficult. I train with him all the time, we room together, we eat together and it’s never fun, taking out your teammate. Today I was the lucky one. Last time, in Mexico (Guadalajara, 2011), it was him.”

On his performance:
“I was much better today than yesterday (Saturday), where I really had to come back a few times. Today we were just both good and it was just down to one arrow.”

On keeping calm:
“I train to keep cool. It’s not complicated. My coach (Randi SMITH, USA) says ‘pick a spot and aim at it’, so that’s what I do.”

On the huge media interest in him:
“I’m told there’s been a lot of media interest but I don’t read the papers. I am just in the zone now but I’ll read everything after the competition, so long as they’ve been saying nice things about me.”

Dugie DENTON (USA) On losing on the final shot, after scoring the first sub-nine arrow of the match:
“Your first mistake will cost you. I starting tipping backwards and when I did I knew that it had gone. I shoot with a hinge release, which works by back tension only.”

“He didn’t make a mistake and I did. I gave it away. Nothing fancy – simple. It happens occasionally.”

On why he tipped backwards:
“I’ve got TBI (traumatic brain injury), caused by firing an exploding shell on a missile range in New Mexico. It ruptured my eardrum, which causes balance problems.”

On losing when it matters:
“It’s like catching the big fish; they always break off at the boat (he’s a fisherman from Montana, USA).”

Guillermo RODRIGUEZ GONZALEZ (ESP) On the result:
“I’m very pleased with the result. I never thought I would get so far. I have achieved it due to hard work, training and the excellent technical support I’ve had (from his coaching team).”

On winning 6-4 despite only one set being a win, the other four being drawn:
“It’s always very close. Anything can happen, anything can make a difference, like the weather, but it’s all turned out well.”

On the atmosphere:
“It’s been absolutely excellent. My heart skips a beat everytime the crowd roars.”

On progressing into the semifinals:
“To get through to the next round (be successful in his semifinal), I will need to be accurate and my consistency of shooting will need to be kept up.”

Alberto SIMONELLI (ITA) On the match coming down to one arrow:
“I feel disappointed. I played well, but made just one mistake, which is just one arrow.”

On whether he plans to go to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games:
“I don’t know yet if I’ll play Rio. I have to think about it.”

Jere FORSBERG (FIN) On the result:
“It’s the most important win of my life and I’m feeling so confident for the semifinal.”

On the Finnish president Sauli VAINAMO being in the crowd:
“I didn’t know he was here. It’s a good job I shot well.”

On the crowd helping him shoot well:
“Training is good but in competition I’m even better. I think the crowd helps me. I know it’s difficult for others but for me it makes me shoot really well.”

Leos BARTOS (CZE) On losing to Jere FORSBERG (FIN) 6-0:
“There’s not much to take from a defeat like this. I wanted to enjoy this competition. I was in the best shape, mentally and phycially, but there were not enough 10s.”

On each archery competition’s importance:
“It’s amazing and important for us (the archers) because we have the Eurpean championships every four years, the worlds (championships) every two years and the Paralympics every four years. Each competition is important for us. Also, in the Czech Republic, we compete against able-bodied athletes.”

On what archery means to him:
“It’s essential for me to compete in archery. After my accident (he injured his spine in a car crash in 1998) I was glad that I had this opportunity to be amongst other people, which helps me not to focus on my disability, so it means a lot to me.”

Dogan HANCI (TUR) On beating Peter KASCAK (SVK) 7-3 after five sets:
“I wasn’t very good but we made it through. I was quite nervous today, my blood pressure has gone up but I got it (the win) with my experience.”

On nerves almost getting the better of him:
“Today I thought about it (the match) too much and I couldn’t get the 10s. You have to be comfortable, it has to feel natural.”

“There is always nerves and excitement. As long as you can keep it under control, you’ll be successful.”

On his preparation for the competition:
“I work hard; eight hours a day, eight months of the year. I’ve lost 20kgs in 18 months, just in preparation for this.”

On his ambitions for gold:
“I want the gold. If that doesn’t happen, I want to be on the podium. For my country, my wife and my four children.”

On his family’s involvement in archery:
“My 10 and 11-year-olds are also archers and my younger brother is an archer in international competitions. In Erzurum (in Turkey), where I live, I’m going to start a large club on and international scale. God willing, that is my plan.”

Peter KASCAK (SVK) On his and his teammates’ performances:
“I am disappointed, surely. I could be better than this. We (he and his fellow Slovakian archers) could be better than this. We are young and we haven’t had so many competitions. Mentally we are not prepared.”

Compound Women Open
Marina LYZHNIKOVA (RUS) On the importance of making it through to the semifinals on Tuesday:
“For two days I have been training and shooting a lot. I really wanted to join the final four because Danielle BROWN (GBR) is shooting there. I really want to shoot against her.”

Gulbin SU (TUR) On her performance:
“I was beaten. I performed badly, it was nerves which made me act too quickly. I just couldn’t steady myself because of the nerves. Preparation went well but the excitement got to me. Perhaps if I’d protected my cold-bloodedness it would have been better.”

Danielle BROWN (GBR) On struggling to lead the match from the start:
“I’ve been shooting really well in practice but I don’t really know what happened, letting her back into the match (they were one set apiece after drawing two of the first four sets). It must have been the nerves. John STUBBS (GBR) was telling me that he was really nervous and he didn’t realise the effect that the home crowd has.”

On getting used to shooting in front of a home crowd:
“It’s a new experience to be competing in front of such a huge crowd. To be honest, she (Maria RUBIO LARRION, ESP) lost the match rather than I won it, but at least now I’ve got a couple of days to get myself together before the semis (on Tuesday).”

Stepanida ARTAKHINOVA (RUS) On facing teammate Olga POLEGAEVA:
“I’m feeling OK. Before the match I was preparing myself mentally to face her. We’ve shot against each other before in previous championships and events so I’m used to it. I knew I was going to play her, and I know how to beat her.”

On whether world No. 1 Danielle BROWN (GBR) is a threat:
“I can’t really say anything about the next round. I have to concentrate on getting through first. I’m sure I’ll have something to say afterwards.”

On the atmosphere:
“I don’t speak English so I didn’t hear what the crown were saying exactly. It’s very good for me to shut out the noise so that I can focus on my performance.”

Olga POLEGAEVA (RUS) On shooting against ARTAKHINOVA:
“We know each other so well and we’ve been working together for a long, long time. Sometimes she wins, sometimes I win. It’s about 50-50. Psychologically I was prepared. I felt really confident but sometimes somebody else has more luck on the day.”

Mel CLARKE (GBR) On winning by shooting a perfect 30 in the final set:
“That was incredible. One of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. It came down to the last three arrows. That’s the way to do it. I’m looking forward to more 10s next time.”

On achieving this win on her 30th birthday:
“I’m now through to the semis (semifinals take place on Tuesday). What better way to celebrate your 30th birthday than shooting here?”

On the uproarious reaction of the crowd when she won:
“It does make you go ‘wow’.”

On having Happy Birthday sung to her by the crowd:
“That was magic. I didn’t expect that.”

Miho NAGANO (JPN) On being unable to pull back from a bad start:
“I wasn’t very good at the beginning. Although I got better, I couldn’t manage to recover it.”

On getting another chance in Rio 2016:
“I haven’t talked about that. I need to think about my future.”

On sampling British culture:
“I haven’t had fish and chips yet, because there’s no fish and chips on the menu in the Paralympic Village. I need to go out to have it.”

Source: PNS
Edited by World Archery Communication

Competitions