Featured Athletes: Aida ROMAN and Juan-René SERRANO (MEX)

After losing to Korea 137-141 in the semi-final, the Mexican pair defeated Great Britain 142-141 in the bronze medal match. Besides, SERRANO clinched the individual silver, losing only to Korea’s OH Jin Hyek in Sunday’s final. 

The 25-year-old ROMAN and 29-year-old SERRANO have been a successful duo since mixed team events have been introduced in archery. Together, they won the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and the 2011 Arizona Cup in Phoenix, USA. They also clinched silver medals at the Guadalajara 2010 Pan American Championships and Torino 2011 World Championships (main photo). This season, after finishing 4th at the first World Cup Stage in Shanghai, the pair ROMAN-SERRANO won the bronze medal at the second stage in Antalya. 

Aida wrote Mexican archery’s finest hours at the London Olympic Games. Competing in her second Olympics after Beijing 2008 (where she placed 13th), she shot high qualification scores and advanced to the individual semi-final. Her victory 6-4 over her teammate and friend Mariana AVITIA ensured Aida at least the silver medal, Mexico’s first ever Olympic medal in archery. Minutes after AVITIA won the bronze medal over the 1992 Olympic team bronze medallist Khatuna LORIG (USA), Aida entered the field for the gold medal match against KI Bo Bae (KOR). 

Aida had won medals in continental events several times, but it was her first final on the world stage. She pushed world N°2 to her limits. After drawing 5-5 across five sets, the Olympic title was decided on a shoot-off. The Korean drew first and hit a disappointing 8. Pressure was strong on Aida’s shoulders… She took a long time to release her match-deciding arrow, which veered left and ended further out in the 8-ring. 

Shining Aida, who combines elite sports and University studies, is the recipient of the "Premio Nacional de Deportes" (National Sports Award) 2012 for her Olympic achievement. The award was presented on 2 December 2012 by the President of Mexico Enrique PEÑA NIETO during a ceremony in his official residence and office "Los Pinos". Before falling into archery’s arms, she also practiced gymnastics and basketball. 

Juan-René started shooting archery when he was 14, and one year later, he was in the national selection and started to compete internationally; he was part of the national selection from that year until today. In an interview given to World Archery in January 2008, the young Mexican confessed that his "dream was to make history for his country and for his people, to enjoy the competitions and to compete with all his heart." 

After a first Olympic experience in 2004 in Athens where he placed 18th, Juan-René was close to make history for his country four years later. At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games the Mexican archer collapsed at the foot of the podium, finishing 4th individually. History repeated in London last year in the team event where he could have offered Mexico’s archery its first Olympic medal... However, Juan-René and his teammates were defeated by the future champions Italy in a tight semi-final match they lost by only two points. After that disappointment, Mexico could not stop favourite Korea from clinching the bronze medal. 

Juan-René thus let his fellow teammate write Mexican archery’s finest hours some days later in the women's individual event, but the two of them hope to have other opportunities to shine for three-coloured nation! 

Biography extracts: 

 

Aida ROMAN – Born on 21 May 1988 

3rd

Mixed Team

World Cup Antalya

2013

1st

Team

Arizona Cup Phoenix

2013

1st

Individual

Mexican Grand Prix Playa del Carmen

2013

1st

Team

Mexican Grand Prix Playa del Carmen

2013

1st

Mixed Team

Mexican Grand Prix Playa del Carmen

2013

2nd

Individual

Olympic Games London

2012

2nd

Team

Olympic Games final qualification tournament Ogden

2012

2nd

Team

World Cup Ogden

2012

1st

Individual

World Ranking Event Medellin

2012

1st

Team

Arizona Cup Phoenix

2012

1st

Team

Pan American Games Guadalajara

2011

3rd

Individual

Pan American Games Guadalajara

2011

3rd

Team

World Cup Shanghai

2011

2nd

Mixed Team

World Championships Turin

2011

1st

Team

Arizona Cup Phoenix

2011

1st

Team

Pan American Championships Guadalajara

2010

2nd

Individual

Pan American Championships Guadalajara

2010

2nd

Mixed Team

Pan American Championships Guadalajara

2010

1st

Individual

Central American and Caribbean Games Mayaguez

2010

1st

Mixed Team

Central American and Caribbean Games Mayaguez

2010

1st

Individual

Mexican Grand Prix Tijuana

2009

13th

Individual

Olympic Games Beijing

2008

1st

Individual

Mexican Grand Prix Merida

2008

2nd

Individual

Pan American Games Rio de Janeiro

2007

 

Juan-René SERRANO – Born on 23 February 1984 

2nd

Individual

World Cup Antalya

2013

3rd

Mixed Team

World Cup Antalya

2013

2nd

Team

Arizona Cup Phoenix

2013

1st

Team

Mexican Grand Prix Playa del Carmen

2013

4th

Team

Olympic Games London

2012

2nd

Team

Pan American Games Guadalajara

2011

2nd

Mixed Team

World Championships Turin

2011

1st

Mixed Team

Arizona Cup Phoenix

2011

2nd

Mixed Team

Pan American Championships Guadalajara

2010

3rd

Team

Pan American Championships Guadalajara

2010

1st

Individual

Central American and Caribbean Games Mayaguez

2010

1st

Team

Central American and Caribbean Games Mayaguez

2010

1st

Mixed Team

Central American and Caribbean Games Mayaguez

2010

1st

Team

Arizona Cup Phoenix

2010

2nd

Mixed Team

Arizona Cup Phoenix

2010

3rd

Team

World Cup Shanghai

2009

3rd

Team

Indoor World Championships Rzeszow

2009

4th

Individual

Olympic Games Beijing

2008

2nd

Individual

Mexican Grand Prix Merida

2008

2nd

Individual

World Cup Final Dubai

2007

3rd

Team

Pan American Games Rio de Janeiro

2007

2nd

Individual

Pan American Championships Rio de Janeiro

2006

2nd

Individual

Central American and Caribbean Games Cartagena

2006

2nd

Team

World Cup San Salvador

2006

18th

Individual

Olympic Games Athens

2004

2nd

Individual

Mexican Grand Prix Mexico

2004

1st

Individual

Continental Olympic qualifier Americas Medellin

2003

2nd

Individual

Pan American Championships San Salvador

2002

 

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