Archery, Stadiosport exclusive interview with Aiko Rolando, winner of a gold (individual) and a silver (mixed team) in the Under 21 recurvo at the last World Championships in Yankton (USA): “An important victory after the injury, now I dream of Olympic gold. Sacrifices? Life as an athlete requires many, but it gives you satisfactions and experiences otherwise unattainable “.
At the age of 20 she posted important successes, demonstrating the character necessary not only to become a champion, but also to face and leave behind the difficult challenges that her still young career has placed before her. Aiko Rolando, fresh winner of two medals (one gold individual and one silver in the mixed team, paired with Matteo Borsani) at the Archery World Championships campagna which took place last week in Yankton (USA), was told exclusively on the pages of Stadiosport.
Aiko was injured just over a year ago, at the end of the European campaign in Porec (Croatia), in which she was classified seventh. A shoulder injury that had forced her to have surgery, as well as a long period away from competitive activity.
Returning to racing in April, a few days ago she had the opportunity to fully redeem herself, winning gold in a final at the last arrow with her friend, and teammate, Roberta Di Francesco. A success that allowed the young athlete of the State Police (GS Fiamme Oro) to confirm the title she won four years ago, in the home World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo and finish her junior career in the best possible way.
Now the time has come to project herself towards new ambitious goals, as her determination and attitude to sacrifice have taught her to do.
Among these, a degree in psychology, an area of study that is well suited to the interests of those who, like her, approach a sport in which the mental aspect becomes predominant. And, why not, Olympic gold, the most coveted target by almost all sportsmen. A distant goal, which a precocious athlete like Aiko however has all the potential to hit.
First of all, Aiko, congratulations on the two medals won in this World Cup. You have already accumulated different experience and medals at an international level, it is no coincidence that you presented yourself at this event with the title won in 2018 in Cortina: what do you take with you, in your luggage, after these further successes?
“Winning this medal will certainly have an impact on my sports career. On a personal level it is one important medal, the first after the injuryand above all it allows me to end my junior career in style ”.
The individual medal comes at the end of a final at the last arrow with Roberta Di Francesco, your friend outside the competitive sphere, so much so that we have seen you post stories together even on the eve of this final: you can deepen the relationship between you and Roberta? How did you feel in finding her in front of you on such an important appointment? Did the fact of knowing each other well affect the race in any way?
“Roberta and I have been friends and teammates for a couple of years. We train together and we knew we could both be competitive in this race. We left with the hope of meeting in the final and it happened and we are obviously happy about it. I think we both knew that the fight would be balanced, we both did well and this is the important thing ”.
In some moments of the final we saw you quite tense before shooting the arrow: can you explain better how you lived those moments? Have you ever thought that gold could slip out of your hands?
“Tension is normal in amps of this magnitude. And if there is one thing I have learned over the years it is that nothing is said until all the arrows have been shot. I didn’t think I had gold in my hand until it was really like that ”.
The second medal, on the other hand, came against France, paired with Matteo Borsani: are there any particular differences in the management of a team match compared to an individual one? How do you manage to achieve the right chemistry with your teammate?
“Archery, a bit like tennis, is an incredibly individual sport, you are always alone in the shooting line to shoot each arrow. Personally I really like team competitionsin that moment your gesture is a small piece for the success of a common project and that reassures me“.
In Campaign Archery the targets are placed at variable distances, partly known, partly not: can you better tell, also for the benefit of our readers, the specific difficulties an archer faces in facing this specific test?
“In the international competitions of this specialty the first day is shot entirely at unknown distances in a range between 10 and 55 meters, from the second day, however, the distances become “written” and the range is from 10 to 60 meters. In addition to the variability of distances, the difficulty often lies in the slopes where the targets can be placed, making the shots much more difficult. It is also not easy to maintain a constant shot at different distances (very long or very short) and with such variable aiming angles, this makes the campaign a good challenge and, in my opinion, also a great training for Olympic specialty competitions. “.
Compete for the Fiamme Oro, the sports group of the State Police, which boasts several champions of this discipline, including Lucilla Boari, Chiara Rebagliati e Tatiana Andreolli, all Olympians. Tell us what it’s like to work alongside some of the most important names in the blue arc: do you try to steal some secrets from them?
“Currently I have the honor of competing for the sports group of the State Policewhich I joined in 2019. Obviously becoming a professional was one of my greatest goals, now from this group I receive great support to be able to face my path in sport in the best possible way.
They supported me, together with the federation, during the recovery from my injury and it is a great honor to represent the body of the State Police in Italy and in the world. The Flames Gold archery currently boast a host of exceptional female athletes who are always a source of inspiration. Lucilla Boaribronze medal in Tokyo, but also Chiara Rebagliati and Tatiana Andreoliwho shared the Olympic experience with her, are three athletes whom I really respect very much and with whom I am lucky enough to train at the federal center of Cantalupa.
Speaking of training, let’s take a step back and tell us how Aiko Rolando’s passion for archery was born? How many sacrifices did it cost to pursue the goals you have achieved?
“I got into archery because my older brother practiced it. I started in 2010, in 2014 my first podiums at national level arrived in the youth categories and there I realized that I would never stop. I started military on a permanent basis in the youth national team in 2017, won the first world championships in 2018 and joined the police sports group in 2019.
Obviously I had to make some sacrifices to carry on my sports and school careers, I moved permanently to the federal center of the national team when I was very young but I’ve always lived it all as an honor, not a burden. Fare life as an athlete involves making some sacrifices in exchange for otherwise unattainable satisfactions and experiences but I don’t mind, I’m happy with what I’m doing and I would make the same choice ”.
Among your idols you mentioned Natalia Valeeva, current national team coach, and twice bronze medalist at the Olympics: what are you inspired by? Are there other athletes, also from other disciplines, who serve as a reference?
“Natalia is the most titled female athlete in the world of archery, having her as a reference point is the most natural thing that can be done. Having the honor of learning from her is obviously a beautiful thing. For the rest, all athletes have aspects in anyway, they understand the pain of defeat and the beauty of victory. Every sport story can be an inspiration but there is no one in particular to which I refer ”.
Who is Aiko in everyday life? What aspects of your personality do you try to transfer to the shooting range? Psychology studies: do you think it can also be useful in the continuation of your career?
“I became passionate about psychology precisely because of sport: practicing a precision sport it is easy to see how much the difference is really made by the approach and mental management of stress and the race.. In this way I want to go all the way to understand the processes and reasons why the mind can betray itself and lead to failure. For the rest, I like the mountains, in general any kind of sport and I am vegan ”.
Last question: what next goal do you set yourself? Is there a dream in the drawer that you would like to realize?
“Obviously the secret dream is the five-circle gold medal. The injury changed the schedule I had set for myself to reach it, making me lose a couple of years, but luckily ours is a very long-lived sport ”.
Gennaro Iannelli © Stadio Sport
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