Argentina’s Agustina animates home crowd with first-round mixed team win

Fifteen-year-old Agustina Giannasio is Argentina’s representative in the archery competition at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

After seeding 21st over the 72-arrow 60-metre ranking round with 630 out of a possible 720 points, she was paired with Aitthiwat Soithong of Thailand in the mixed nation mixed team event – the first competition that would take her into the archery arena on home soil.

“To be honest, it’s beautiful because all my family and friends can come and watch me doing what I love the most,” she said. “This is such an important competition that’s nice to have it at home.”

A sympathetic crowd welcomed Agustina and her partner onto the field for their first-round match against a pair from Australia and Egypt, and welcomed the 6-2 win the Argentinian archer secured.

“I normally perform better under pressure, so for me, it’s good to have the crowd here loud. It’s actually really nice that no matter the arrow you shoot, good or bad, they clap, they support you,” she said.

Agustina started archery after a family holiday in Patagonia in 2014 and it now makes up a large part of her life. She’s looked towards other successful Argentinian athletes for inspiration in her quest for sporting excellence.

“Paula Pareto, the Rio 2016 judo Olympic Champion, is my role model. She’s a woman that I admire a lot because while she got a medical degree she was also capable of winning an Olympic medal,” she said.

“Being able to do both things makes her a huge example because it’s kind of difficult to understand it’s possible at our age.”

Agustina will continue her mixed team campaign in Buenos Aires before the individual eliminations start – all the while with that animated home crowd behind her.

The third edition of the Youth Olympic Games takes place on 12-17 October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.