Indonesia finally won a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, thanks to Veddriq Leonardo, a 27-year-old rock climbing athlete who has a brilliant reputation. Veddriq, born in Pontianak on March 11, 1997, clocked 4.79 seconds in the final match of the speed climbing discipline, making him a new hero for Indonesia.
Since 2018, Veddriq has collected six world championship titles from the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup events. He achieved these accomplishments in various countries, including the United States, Switzerland, and South Korea. His speed and consistency have made him one of the best speed climbers in the world.
Veddriq's journey to the Olympics was full of challenges. As the only Indonesian representative to qualify for the quarterfinals, Veddriq faced a tough opponent from the host country, Bassa Mawem. With Bawem's best time recorded at 5.16 seconds, Veddriq managed to outperform him and advance to the final, securing the gold medal for Indonesia.
Veddriq Leonardo is now recognized as one of the most successful speed climbers globally, with a series of achievements including six world championship titles, a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, another gold at the Papua National Sports Week, and, of course, the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Athlete of the Year 2024
Veddriq Leonardo was officially chosen as Athlete of the Year 2024 at The World Games Award 2024, organized by The International World Games Association (IWGA). IWGA officially announced the award through a release on their official website, theworldgames.org.
Veddriq secured his selection after receiving a total of 77,045 votes through a voting system that took place in two sessions from January 9-22, 2025, and January 22-31, 2025. Veddriq's vote count was unmatched by his competitors, namely Estonian Flying Disc athlete Kristin Latt, who received 51,338 votes, and third-place winner, Chinese Wushu athlete Xin Tong, with 26,181 votes.
The Unstoppable Force
Despite being born into an unprivileged family, Veddriq possessed a strong determination to achieve his dreams. Although he experienced failures on several occasions, he did not give up and continued his career in rock climbing. After graduating from high school, Veddriq pursued his education at Tanjungpura University, Pontianak, majoring in Elementary School Teacher Education.
Veddriq's father, Sumaryanto, worked as a carpenter, while his mother, Rosita, took on various odd jobs, such as washing clothes and selling yellow rice. As a sign of government appreciation for his achievements, the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports appointed him as a civil servant in 2019. Following this, Veddriq asked his parents to stop working, and he took over the family's financial needs.
Nevertheless, Rosita never imagined that Veddriq would become an Olympic gold medalist. She had even initially refused to allow her only son to pursue and have a career in rock climbing.
Initially, Rosita only wanted Veddriq to go to college, graduate, and have a career as a teacher or work in a bank. However, Veddriq's determination was too strong to be prevented. Rosita said that even the forest fires that once hit Kalimantan could not stop her son from practicing rock climbing.
Bring Pride to His Family and Country
Because he had not yet gained his mother's trust, Veddriq secretly often practiced in the sports hall near his house to hone his rock climbing techniques. Over time, Veddriq no longer practiced secretly after successfully becoming a champion in various competitions. He dared to ask his mother's permission when he wanted to train, and would even cry if he was not allowed to.
"I am sure that I will bring honor to the nation. This could also be our future. Mother, pray for me, hopefully I will succeed. Later, I will make our house better," said Veddriq to convince his mother, as quoted on kompas.id (August 8, 2024).
Despite facing many difficulties, such as financial problems, Veddriq never lost hope. When Veddriq once had trouble getting tools to train his hand strength, he made his own tools from leftover wood. He obtained the wood from his father, who worked as a carpenter.
Even during competitions in high school and college, Veddriq had to take turns using climbing shoes with his friends. It was only when he joined the National Training Program that he could buy his climbing shoes with his own money.
Now, Veddriq is not only making his family proud. The gold medal is a proud testament to himself, his family, and also to Indonesia. Veddriq proves that hard work is a powerful bridge to realize all dreams, even when faced with limitations.
References:
- TIMES Malang. Profil Veddriq Leonardo, Pahlawan Emas Indonesia di Olimpiade Paris 2024. https://malang.times.co.id/news/olahraga/cgpswcwlkx/Profil-Veddriq-Leonardo-Pahlawan-Emas-Indonesia-di-Olimpiade-Paris-2024
- Federasi Panjat Tebing Indonesia (FPTI). Veddriq Leonardo Terpilih Menjadi Athlete of The Year 2024 dari The International World Games Association. fpti.or.id/press-release/veddriq-leonardo-terpilih-menjadi-athlete-of-the-year-2024-dari-the-international-world-games-association/
- IDN Times Kaltim. Veddriq Leonardo, Kisah Kegigihan di Balik Medali Emas Olimpiade. https://kaltim.idntimes.com/news/indonesia/tri-purnawati/veddriq-leonardo-kisah-kegigihan-di-balik-medali-emas-olimpiade
- Kompas. Emas Olimpiade, Bukti Kerja Keras Veddriq Kalahkan Keterbatasan. https://www.kompas.id/baca/olahraga/2024/08/08/emas-olimpiade-jadi-bukti-kerja-keras-veddriq-leonardo-kalahkan-keterbatasan
