Russian archer Viktoria Balzhanova’s gold medal in the women’s compound at the 2012 World Indoor Archery Championships in Las Vegas was a reward for her persistence, her former coach said Friday.
Balzhanova picked up Russia’s only gold medal of the championships, as Russia finished third in the medals table behind the United States and Italy when the competition ended Thursday.
“I’m very happy for Viktoria, my feelings are just overflowing,” Balzhanova’s former coach Sofia Khaludorova told the Baikal-Daily newspaper in Russia on Friday.
Balzhanova defeated Dutch archer Inge van Caspel 2-1 in the final of the women’s compound competition to take her first individual gold on the world stage. Khaludorova said that Balzhanova had tried different routes to glory.
“At first she shot recurve, but then she moved to the compound. That says to me: ‘Right, I’m going to get there and be a champion.’ Now she’s achieved it.”
Balzhanova was part of the Russian women’s team that won gold in 2009, but the team of Balzhanova, Natalia Avdeeva and Albina Loginova was unable to repeat the same form in 2012, finishing as runners-up to the United States.
Russia also performed well in the recurve events, with a silver medal for the men’s team of Baljinima Tsyrempilov, Alexey Borodin and Bair Barenov, as well as a bronze for Ksenia Perova in the women’s individual recurve.
The Soviet Union regularly won Olympic medals for archery after the sport was reintroduced to the games in 1972, but Russia has struggled for success. Russia’s only Olympic medal came in 2008 in Beijing, when Badenov won bronze in the men’s individual event.
In the junior competition, Russia dominated, picking up three gold medals and one silver to finish top of the medals table.
