Deepika Kumari: Won't retire until I get an Olympic medal

Paris, Aug 4 (PTI) She has flattered to deceive for four straight Olympics but multiple World Cup medal winning archer Deepika Kumari has vowed not to quit unless she ends up on podium which she feels could be Los Angeles in four years' time. For Deepika, it has always been a case of not being able to display enough temperament in pressure situation at the grandest stage.

"Obviously, I want to play more in the future and will continue my game," Deepika told PTI in an exclusive interaction at the India House here.

"I really want to win an Olympic medal, and I won't quit until I achieve that. I'll train harder and come back strongly," added Deepika, who has won every international medal except for an Olympic yellow metal.

"Firstly, I will present myself more strongly. There are many things, like quick shooting, that I need to learn a bit more about, and it's very important to train myself accordingly.

"What I learned from the Olympics is that late shooting doesn't work; you have no room to make big mistakes, so you have to control that. I will learn that from here," she said in hindsight.

Deepika, 30, appeared in her fourth consecutive Olympics in Paris, making a remarkable comeback after becoming a mother for the first time in December 2022, when she gave birth to her daughter.

After topping the national selection trials, Deepika went on to win an individual gold at the Shanghai World Cup in April.

Back at her favorite venue, where she had won multiple World Cup medals, Olympic pressure was evident as she had her worst ranking round ever at the Games.

She qualified for the main draw as the 23rd seed, ranking lower than fellow Indian debutants Ankita Bhakat and Bhajan Kaur. Her score of 658 was notably 36 points below that of Korean top seed and eventual gold medalist Lim Sihyeon.

She was the weakest link in the team event, as they succumbed to the Netherlands in their opening round match without much of a fight.

However, Deepika was not ready to give up as she made a splendid comeback in the individual category, working her way up to the quarterfinals with three tough wins.

Pitted against Korean archer Nam Suhyeon, whom she had defeated in the semifinal of the Shanghai World Cup, Deepika took a two-set lead but could not convert another, shooting into the 7-point red ring as the Korean teenager rallied to a 6-4 win.

Nam finished with a silver, losing to her more favored teammate Lim.

Looking back at the result, Deepika said: "I was not nervous. I was playing strongly, but one shot (the 7-point) really went wrong, and that was the reason I lost the match. Overall, it was a good experience." Deepika almost timed herself out to shoot the arrow, with just two seconds left on the clock when she released it.

It could have played a role in the arrow landing in the red ring, and Deepika is aware of the need for "quick shooting." It was yet another quarterfinal exit for Deepika, who had lost to eventual gold medalist An San of Korea in straight sets at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

What are the three things she needs to work on? "To keep myself calm; to focus more on my shooting form and concentration; and finally, to enjoy the game fully when I have time," she said.

With her sights set on LA 2028, Deepika said: "In the next Olympics, I want to be mentally stronger and win a medal. I really want to win an Olympic medal." The archers did not have the India sports psychologist Gayatri Vartak present until just before the mixed team event, due to a delayed visa.

"No, I don't think it played any role in our performance. We stayed in touch with her and talked to her continuously. It's not an issue in this case," she signed off. PTI