JOIN USA fighting Chekrovolu Swuro suffered a narrow defeat to United States’ Jennifer Nichols to bow out of the Olympic Games archery individual event on Tuesday.
At the Lord’s cricket ground on a cool and overcast day, Swuro lost the first round contest in shoot-off, continuing the poor run by India’s archers at these Games. Swuro’s team-mate Bombayla Devi had lost in the first round on Monday and Deepika Kumari is the sole Indian challenger remaining in the women’s section.
In the men’s section, Jayanta Talukdar suffered a crushing 0-6 defeat to another American, Jacob Wukie, while Rahul Banerjee and Tarundeep Rai were to compete in the first round later in the day. Swuro and Nichols were tied 5-5 in set points after five ends of three arrows each. In the shoot-off, both hit 9 but Nichols arrow was closest to the centre, leaving her victorious by a 6-5 margin. Swuro took the first end 27-24 but Nichols bounced back with a 27-25 win in the second. A win in each end gives two set points and the scores were level 2-2 at this point.
The scores were 25-25 in the third end, earning a point for each archer.
Swuro again won the next end 29-26 to lead 5-3 but Nichols took it to the shoot-off by claiming the fifth 28-25. Swuro could have clinched it with a nine in the final arrow but shot a six to spoil her chances. “I could not judge the wind today and was late to fire that arrow,” said Swuro. “I am happy for Nichols, she is a very good archer. I will be back tomorrow to support Deepika,” said the archer from Nagaland.
Talukdar’s was a shattering defeat, with India’s top archer unable to mount any worthwhile challenge. Wukie won the first end 27-22 and hit the bull’s-eye three straight times to claim the second 30-26. He sealed the match without any difficulty, claiming the third 29-28 to move into the second round.