NUR SURYANI TARGETS FINAL
Shooter hopes to go beyond the prelim stage at the Tokyo Olympics
VETERAN shooter Nur Suryani Taibi is eager to record a fruitful Olympic outing in Tokyo later this month.
Although the 39-year-old will be facing an array of elite shooters in the 50m rifle three-position event, she has not ruled herself out from a good showing in the Games.
Unlike physical sports such as badminton and cycling, shooting is a precision event where reputation and form count for nothing on the day of the competition.
And she hopes to rise to the challenge and make history by becoming the first Malaysian to qualify for an Olympic shooting final.
For the record, Malaysian shooters have never failed to qualify for the Olympics since the 1972 Munich Games.
In 2012, she had gained worldwide recognition when she competed in the London Games while heavily pregnant.
Although she did not advance to the final of the 10m air rifle, it was a valuable experience that will certainly count towards her preparation this time.
“The only difference between the London Olympics and the Tokyo edition is that the air rifle event requires more mental fortitude while the 50m rifle three-position is more physical,” said Nur Suryani.
“That and the fact that I was pregnant when I competed and everyone was focusing on me.
“Now, hopefully, the focus is on someone else because I do not need the added pressure.
“But at the end of the day, it does not really matter which event I’m competing in because I just need to focus and do my best.
“I do not want to think about my competitors as the real battle is whether I can focus and efficiently hit high scores.
“I have to be consistent and plan how to recover after errors to deliver good shots until the end.”
Coming in as a wildcard, Nur Suryani admitted that her preparation had been far from ideal.
But that has not stopped her from targeting a decent mark in Tokyo.
“As a wildcard, I had limited time to prepare. I could not even compete in local and overseas
meets due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Nur Suryani.
“But I kept on training at home during the lockdown to improve my technique.
“Ultimately, I want to improve my ranking from 2012,” added Nur Suryani, who finished 34th at the London Games.
National coach Yusri Jusoh believes that Nur Suryani has the ability and the experience to pull off a good shot on the day.
“I believe in Nur Suryani’s ability and experience.
“I expect her to pull off a good showing. It’s just down to how she handles it on the day.”
The onus is certainly on Nur Suryani to rise to the challenge and hit the mark on the day.
Both Nur Suryani and Yusri departed for Tokyo on Saturday.