Aída Román wins silver at the Indoor World Championships

Aída Román won the silver medal last weekend at the Indoor World Championships held in Yankton, United States. This was her second individual medal in this type of competition, something she has not been able to achieve in outdoor world championships.

After winning gold in the 2014 world championships in Nimes, France, this victory served as inspiration for Román in a year where she achieved six medals in World Cups, two of them individually, and a gold in the World Cup final held in Switzerland. Therefore, the athlete hopes that this silver in Yankton marks the beginning of another successful season.

There is not much time to celebrate this silver medal as Aída will have to compete this weekend in the second national qualifier for the Central American Games and the World Cups, as well as the Pan American Championships where spots for the Pan American Games will be awarded. She also plans to participate in another event, the World Field Championship, which will take place in Italy in September.

In outdoor world championships, Román has two medals, silver in Turin 2011 (mixed team) and silver in Mexico City 2017 (women's team).

What do you feel about winning another world medal?

"I am happy and satisfied with the work that has been done. However, everyone would like to win as many golds as possible. The truth is that I still need to fine-tune some details. I am missing the outdoor medal in my career and I would really love to win it. However, the level of competition in that type of World Championship is much higher. I hope that I can achieve it at some point."

Do you think this is the beginning of another good year like 2014?

"I hope so. I would love to predict the future and say that it will be. But let's hope that everything continues to go very well. On Friday, we are going to the second qualifying event in Monterrey for the Central American Games. Right now, I am focusing on this qualifier to be part of the national team, since the new generations are getting stronger and stronger."

What is the difference between an Indoor World Championship and an Outdoor World Championship?

"Indoor archery requires a lot of precision in the shot. If you shoot a nine, there is a high possibility of losing. Outdoor archery, on the other hand, depends on factors such as wind and light conditions. In the indoor competition, the cut is made at 32 out of 70 participants in the qualification round, while in the outdoor competition, it is at 104 out of 150. Therefore, indoor archery puts a lot of pressure on achieving good scores and the result is 100% your responsibility. Outdoor archery requires a lot of practice to shoot a perfect score of 30, while there are archers in the indoor competition who can achieve three tens in a series with only two years of experience."

Are there many European rivals in the indoor competition?

"The Koreans usually compete in the Indoor World Cups, but I don't know why they don't go to the World Championship. The European archers participate in the indoor competitions to maintain their competitive level because there are several months without outdoor competitions."

What's next for you?

"My first goal is to be part of the national team and then compete in all the World Cups, well, the ones that the sports authorities want to pay for because we don't know which ones they will be. Then, there will be the Central American Games, and after that, we will move on to the Pan American Championships, which offers spots for the Lima Pan American Games. Finally, I will try field archery, which is another archery discipline where the distances are unknown and it is a different type of competition."

Can you explain a bit about this field archery discipline?

"The longest distance is 70 meters and the shortest is 10 meters. The target faces change every day, with some being at unknown distances and others at known distances. However, the angles also change. Sometimes you have to shoot uphill or downhill, as if shooting from a small mountain or a ravine. It is a different type of event that is very interesting and it gives a different perspective to archery. We are not always under the pressure of high-stakes competitions like the Olympic Games. First, I have to qualify in Mexico at the national event in Los Cabos, and then the World Field Championship will take place in Italy."