Jayson Valdez during the men’s 10m air rifle competition at Asaka Shooting range. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Jayson Valdez may not have won a medal in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the Tokyo Olympics, but he’s not coming home empty handed either.
Despite falling short in the qualifying, Valdez gained invaluable lessons in his maiden Olympic stint.
“I may be bowing out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but this definitely isn’t the end of anything,” Valdez, the second-generation marksman, posted on social media.
“Qualifying for this event (at the last minute!) has truly been an honor in itself! It’s been an amazing journey – and we’re not stopping here!”
The 25-year-old Valdez placed 44th out of 47 competitors after scoring 612.6 in the qualification.
William Shaner of the United States, who was third in the qualifying with 630.8 points, bagged the gold medal after setting an Olympic record of 251.6 points in the final.
With still a long way to go, Valdez knows his time will come.
“Thank you so much for all of the love and support! I may not be bringing home a medal (yet ) but I got so much lessons and realizations from this experience that I’m taking with me as we move forward. Puso!”