Jakarta. As sports enthusiasts in Indonesia began to lose hope for a gold medal after badminton concluded at the Paris Olympics, sport climber Veddriq Leonardo made history on Thursday by winning gold in inaugural men’s sport climbing speed.
His victory also marked a significant milestone as he became the first Indonesian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in a sport other than badminton.
Just a few hours later, weightlifter Rizki Juniansyah shattered an Olympic record on his way to claiming the gold in the men’s 73kg weightlifting event, securing Indonesia’s second gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Both Indonesian athletes achieved their victories by defeating the world record holders in their respective sports.
For Greysia Polii, the badminton legend who won gold in the women’s doubles at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics three years ago, these achievements represent a significant shift. They relieve the long-standing pressure on Indonesian badminton players to deliver Olympic gold.
“How can I not cry witnessing Indonesia’s growing prowess in sports today?” Greysia wrote on the social media platform X.
Since badminton became an Olympic medal event in 1992, Indonesia has won eight gold medals in the sport. Prior to Paris, the only Olympic Games where Indonesia failed to secure a gold in badminton was at the 2012 London Olympics, when several Indonesian players, including Greysia, were disqualified for alleged match-fixing.
She described the 2012 incident as one of the most bitter moments of her career, noting that Indonesia was warned that challenging the International Olympic Committee’s decision could result in badminton being removed from the Olympics altogether.
“If there is no badminton, from what sport can Indonesia expect Olympic medals?” she wrote. “We represent a great nation, so how come badminton is the only sport that delivers gold medals to Indonesia?”
Now, Greysia expressed her relief that Indonesia’s gold medal hopes no longer rest solely on badminton, thanks to the achievements of athletes like Veddriq and Rizki.
In Paris, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung added to Indonesia’s medal tally by winning bronze in the women’s singles badminton after losing in the semifinals to South Korea’s An Se-Young. The bronze medal match was canceled when three-time world champion Carolina Marin, who retired while leading in the other semifinal, withdrew from the Paris Olympics due to injury, securing Gregoria’s bronze.
The London and Paris Olympics are the only Games where Indonesian shuttlers did not win a gold medal.
