By Ju-min Park
TOKYO (Reuters) – Russian Svetlana Gomboeva helped her team reach the quarter-final of the women’s archery competition on Sunday, two days after collapsing with sunstroke at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I feel it’s okay. I am good. I want to be shooting good,” Gomboeva told Reuters on the sidelines of the competition.
Gomboeva’s team beat Ukraine 6-2 and will face the United States next later on Sunday.
On Friday, she had collapsed while checking the final scores in the ranking round.
“Just shooting. That’s it”, Gomboeva said of her plans in the next round, adding that she drank a lot of water and used ice to keep herself cool.
Tokyo’s blazing sun has made attendees rush for the shade at the archery venue, with team mates cheering from under umbrellas in the mostly empty stands.
Most venues at the Olympics will be without spectators as Japan tries to rein in an upsurge in COVID-19 cases.
Germany also reached the quarter-finals after beating Taiwan, who were strong medal contenders after winning the 2019 World Championships by defeating the powerful South Koreans.
“We knew Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) was a strong opponent, but we were also strong. We have positive energy and we did it,” said German archer Lisa Unruh, a Rio silver medallist.
South Korea are looking to take home their ninth gold in the women’s team event, which would see them tie for the longest gold medal streak in Olympic history.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Karishma Singh)
