Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Young star shines

NANJING — The night before her competition, Martina Lindsay Veloso attended a cooking class, making kebabs and orange-flavoured yogurt. After all, this is the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) where the Cultural and Education Programme is as important a part of the entire Olympic experience as the competition itself.

Martina Veloso with Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin (left) and Sam Tan, Minister of State (Culture, Community and Youth) at the Nanjing YOG yesterday. Photo: SNOC

Martina Veloso with Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin (left) and Sam Tan, Minister of State (Culture, Community and Youth) at the Nanjing YOG yesterday. Photo: SNOC

NANJING — The night before her competition, Martina Lindsay Veloso attended a cooking class, making kebabs and orange-flavoured yogurt. After all, this is the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) where the Cultural and Education Programme is as important a part of the entire Olympic experience as the competition itself.

Less than 24 hours later, the 14-year-old was all business at the Fangshan Shooting Hall, first ensuring that she made the top eight in qualifying for the women’s 10m air rifle event — she came fourth with a score of 415.7 points — then making a fist of the final, befitting her status as the favourite among Singapore’s 18 athletes at the Games to win a medal.

Given the cheering she received, the 150 spectators were well aware of Martina’s reputation as the youngest shooter to win an International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) event, which she achieved in June at the World Cup in Munich.

When the competition was over, she stood tall as Singapore’s first medallist at the Nanjing YOG, her silver medal celebrated with the fervour of a gold. After 20 shots, the Singaporean was a mere 0.6 points adrift of Switzerland’s Sarah Hornung, and those watching knew it had been a competition of the highest quality.

Martina had clawed back from a shaky start to get into the final two, her total of 207.2 points bested only by Hornung’s 207.8. Germany’s Julia Budde took bronze with 186.3 points.

The Singapore Sports School student was in third place throughout most of the competition, and seized her opportunity after Budde, who was the early leader, slipped up with a 9.8 in her 18th shot, while Martina posted a 10.8.

Like what her air pistol team-mate Teh Xiu Yi had experienced on Sunday, the atmosphere in the competition arena was raucous, with a mixture of music from the speakers and the crowd, which cheered every shot.

“It was stressful … (but) I couldn’t stop all the cheering and everything, and all I had to do was focus on myself and block out the distractions by maybe singing or humming to myself,” said Martina, who confessed to feeling the nerves before the final.

“I was thinking there was no chance for me at all in the final after the sighting … (that’s when) I had so many shots below 10 during the practice round, and proceeded to start the competition poorly.”

But she also reminded herself of her coach Lim Chea Rong’s mantra. “My coach said ‘one shot, one kill’. I had to give my 100 per cent for every shot so I made sure I did that and did not give up.”

Apart from encouraging more audience reaction during shooting competition, the ISSF has also introduced a new elimination format for the finals, something Martina and her coach had been practising for.

“We organised around 10 practice competitions at the Singapore Sports School and got our school shooters to fill the spectator stands and cheer loudly,” said Lim. “We also played loud pop music such as Justin Bieber’s songs.”

All smiles after the medal ceremony, Martina admitted she had felt the pressure to deliver.

“There were expectations (heading into the YOG), but I shouldn’t be thinking about it. It was different in this competition — I don’t know why, but it was different,” she said cryptically, sporting the silver medal around her neck.

Asked about the thick purple notebook she carried with her during qualification and the final, Martina said: “It is my secret manual. I’ve already filled one book. It’s full of my scribbles and notes.”

Her main event over, the teenage sensation can kick back and have fun. She will be paired with a male athlete from another country for the 10m air rifle mixed team event, and will find out today which of her new friends will be drawn to be her partner for the competition, which will begin tomorrow.

“I am back to being just another athlete in the Games Village,” she said. “I am really relieved with the silver medal, and I will go out and play today — but only today, as I will start preparing for the mixed team event.”

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.