2024/7/12, Friday: U17 Women's Epee with 19 participants. Pools with 6 people, won 4 out of 5 matches. Ranked 2nd after pools. At elimination/knockout rounds, ended up losing 15-11 in the semi-final rounds. (Placed 3rd)
2024/7/13, Saturday: U15 Women's Epee with 31 participants. Pools with 5 people, won 1/4 matches. Ranked 19th after pools. At elimination/knockout rounds, ended up losing 15-14 in the semi-final rounds. (Placed 3rd)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Journal: The competition on Friday actually went really well, not only in the pools but also during the elimination rounds. It probably helped that this was a U17 competition, and I was only 13 years old, so I didn't put too much pressure on myself. During the pools, my goal was simply to win at least 2 to 3 rounds. But after winning my first match against my first opponent with a score of 5-1, I started to feel more confident. By the end of the pools, I had won 4 out of 5 matches. I knew I could have done even better, which would have boosted my points and ranking. In my last match, I only won by one point, but I believe I could have won 5-2 or 5-1. However, I was quite lucky that day—NO ONE except ONE person won all their rounds, so I ended up in second place after the pools, which was REALLY LUCKY!!!
In the elimination round, my first opponent was the same person I had fenced during the pools. When it was time for the round of 16, I confidently stepped onto the fencing strip, ready to finish the game. I guess I was a little too excited because, during the round, I rushed a bit, which turned some points that should have been single lights into doubles. After winning that round, I felt relieved and free from pressure. In the end, I made it to the semi-finals and finished in 3rd place.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The second day's U15 competition didn't start well, particularly during the pools. I agree that I put too much pressure on myself because I expected to perform much better than I had on Friday. Unfortunately, that pressure caused me to do much worse. In my first pool match, I lost 4-0. I became really anxious, which only made my second match worse—I lost 3-1. My coach called me over for a talk, and I started to pull myself together. Before my next pool round, I cried by the walls, feeling really disappointed in myself. During the third match of the pools, I began to improve compared to the previous two matches, but I still lost 5-4. The last match, however, was my best one, where I won 5-1.
After the pools, I was still really sad and disappointed. I couldn’t believe what had happened during the pools. It was also frightening because on Friday, my condition was great, but then the feeling just disappeared the next day. I knew I would probably still advance to the next round, but my rank would be low, and I’d have to face stronger opponents. To be honest, I cried again while waiting for the next round. As I sat there, lonely and anxious, one of the coaches came and talked to me. What she told me that day was a big lesson. She said I shouldn’t be disappointed yet because the competition wasn’t over. I still had the next round, and I couldn’t afford to be sad and depressed now. If my mindset and emotions weren’t positive, I wouldn’t be able to perform the skills I’d been practicing for the past few weeks and years. The most important thing in a game isn’t just how much you know about the sport—it’s your mindset and emotions towards the game, and how you apply the skills you’ve learned. (在比賽中最重要的不是你對這個運動了解多少，而是你對待比賽的心情，情緒，而你怎麼發揮你學過的技術。) That was the most important lesson I’ve ever learned. When it was time for me to fence my next opponent, I felt a lot better and ready to win. During each round of my competition, I not only took each point seriously but also cherished and enjoyed every moment on the fencing strip. I ended up making it to the semi-finals but lost 15-14 because I didn’t have enough energy after two full days of competition. Still, I was really happy and proud of my performance.
Comments