Believe it or not, some silver medals carry more weight than others. That is the case with Amaya Cojuangco’s silver, which she won in the women’s individual compound event in the 20th Asian Games on Thursday.
Cojuangco came tantalizingly close to a gold medal in the final, taking Indonesia’s Dian Ashrifah down to the wire before losing, 144‑143, in the final two arrows.
Ashrifah Holds Steady in the End
Ashrifah and Cojuangco were tied at 110 after the first four ends, but the Indonesian hit a bull’s‑eye on back‑to‑back arrows, while the Filipina settled for three nines. That finish ultimately cost Cojuangco the gold, but not before she put together what was essentially a dream run that could have been golden.
That’s because the 40‑year‑old alumna of the University of the Philippines stunned medal favorite Park Jungyoon of archery powerhouse South Korea, 142‑141, in the semis to punch a ticket to the gold‑medal final. Before that, Cojuangco delivered perfection down the stretch to outlast second seed Bita Asheghzadeh Oskouei of Iran, 146‑135, in the quarterfinals.
Amaya Cojuangco’s Silver Is Worth Its Weight in Gold
Coming into the 20th Asian Games in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan, the Philippines had one solitary medal in archery—a bronze medal from Paul Marton Dela Cruz in the men’s individual compound event at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. On Thursday, Amaya Cojuangco added a silver, and she did so while beating one of the favorites to win gold before just falling short in the very end.
“I’m very lucky and I thank the Lord. Parang destiny,” Cojuangco said. “I didn’t qualify well, ranked 28. I came from behind and every match was a fight.”
Indeed, every match was a fight for Amaya Cojuangco—and that is precisely why this silver carries the weight of gold. No one—except perhaps her coaches, family, and closest friends—could have predicted a podium finish for the 40‑year‑old Filipina against a loaded field.
And yet there she was on Thursday, just a step away from gold.
