I am joyful to meet Elaine Thompson-Herah, and this opportunity will be a valuable experience for me to perform better in the futureJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian sprinter Alvin Tehupeiory on Friday said she has gained valuable experience and motivation from her debut in the women's 100-m athletics event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The sprinter, who hails from Ambon, Maluku, said she has learned a lot from her Olympic rivals, such as the world-class Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, who finished first in the second heat of the first round in 10.82 seconds.
Tehupeiory said she also met Swiss sprinter Mujinga Kambunjdi, who finished in 10.95 seconds, and German sprinter Tatjana Pinto, who completed the run in 11.16 seconds.
Though Tehupeiory made a good start in the second heat and was able to keep pace with her rivals for the first 30 meters, she finished last with a recorded time of 11.92 seconds.
Despite finishing last, she said she felt no regrets.
"I am joyful to meet Elaine Thompson-Herah, and this opportunity will be a valuable experience for me to perform better in the future," Tehupeiory stated in an official release issued by the National Olympic Council (NOC) Indonesia on Friday.
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"I can see how their warming up, how their starting position on the starting block, and how they composed herself on the run. (The fellow athletes) also are very kind and replied my greeting," she said.
Tehupeiory also apologized to her Indonesian supporters.
"For fellow Indonesians, who have prayed for and supporting me, I apologize for not presenting my best result. I hope I can perform better in the future," she said.
She admitted lack of competition experience affected her performance, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic when no competitions were held where she could test her abilities.
It was her win at the 2019 National Athletics Championships' women's 100m run that had propelled Tehupeiory's sprinting career. That's when she began to focus on 100m and 200m sprints, although her initial experience was in 400m hurdles.
"I've never imagined myself to compete in the Olympics despite a lot of athletes wants to compete there. My intention is indeed to make my country proud, but I have never expected I ended up competing for my country in the Olympics," Tehupeiory remarked.
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Translator: M Ramdan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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