The national hammer record holder, Extremadura Javier Cienfuegos, his presence in Paris 2024 is in doubtin his fourth Olympic Games, due to the state of his back and in case he is elected mayor of Montijo (Badajoz), his hometown, on May 28.
The athlete intends to attend what will surely be his last major competition, as he does not see himself beyond that date.
“I’ll try, yes, it might not work, well, toobut equally happy for my entire career and for all the years the sport has given me,” Cienfuegos admitted in an interview with EFE.
When making a decision, he will consider not only the time that the mayorship of this town of more than 15,000 inhabitants will cover him, but the state of his back, because he has two hernias and the beginning of another.
Cienfuegos, who this year won his 24th champion title in Spain and has the best Spanish score -79.39 meters (2019)-, finished with a lot of discomfort last season and at the beginning of it had to he stopped because the response to the submitter gave “the worst possible news”.
He decided he didn’t want to undergo surgery because he might not be able to fight again and since then his preparation has gradually faded away, with a “calmer winter than normal”, focused on the summer season, and for now the back is ” quite nice”.
“I have in my mind that the next pain that will hit my back will definitely be the last because in the end we have one back and one life,” he told EFE.
Although they lost some time, because in winter it can reach 76 and 77 meters and this year it remained at 72.40, the main goal of the year remains the same: the World Cup in Budapest in August.
To be on the list of 36 athletes classified for that event, he believes it will be necessary to throw 76 meters.
Their goal is to launch far into June and July, so in May they “handbrake on,” carrying a lot, and then gradually lower the ballast.
Regarding the possibility of breaking the 80-meter hurdle, he said that “hope is the last thing to lose” and he trains to throw as much as possible, but as the years go by, it becomes more difficult and “his back. is like this”. “We have to be realistic”.
After four years as a PP regional deputy, he was suggested to be a mayoral candidate and he accepted.
Cienfuegos, who is the local president of the party, assures that if he becomes mayor “the first thing is Montijo”, so “if one day you can’t train, you can’t”.
And, while he maintains the “illusion” of reaching the Games, the alternatives are to recover the session at seven in the morning or train from nine at night.
In the first stage of the season, it is easier to organize the schedules because it is physical work that you do alone, but when the coach starts his team things get complicated.
When it comes to reconciliation, “family and dreams lose,” he admits.
Cienfuegos, who does not promise pharaonic deeds, but to take care of the daily problems of the people, believes that the athletes bring sacrifice, perseverance and know how to work as a political team .
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
