Lorea Ibarzabal: “We extended the volume period thinking about the Paris 2024 Games”

Lorea Ibarzabal (1994) has established itself as the great reference of the Spanish 800m after a sensational 2023 campaign in which it placed fourth in Europe indoors in Istanbul and broke the two-minute outdoor barrier (1’59”88). “The beginning of the season always it costs a little“, explained the Spaniard to World of sports, after debuting in Sabadell with a second position with 2’03”26. A week later, at Metzmanaged to run 2’01”48, mark minimum set by the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation to attend the Glasgow Indoor World Cup. “In the winter, transferring these rhythms in training is already difficult, imagine in competition,” said Ibarzabal, revealing the difficulties he had when it was time to start the year. “We’re training very good and I’m sure it will translate into a new personal best” – on the horizon is the Spanish record of Maite Zúñiga of 1’57”45 valid from 1988-.

He inherited the talent of running from his mother, Patricia Padorno (1965), first Spanish mile record holder in 1987. Lives in Lorea Valladolidwhere he trains under the orders of Uriel Reguero in a very competitive group where there is also Lorraine Martin. “Usually we train in Valladolid, but we go for three weeks south of Portugal because of the cold,” said Ibarzabal. “Today we trained again in Valladolid, but once a week we went to the Indoor Court of Salamanca to make a quality session, “he said. “In Valladolid he works a bit cold and that is something that remains in preparation,” he said, lamenting the harshness of the Castilian continental climate in winter.

Facing a season as full of competitions as this year world indoor track (or short track) in Glasgow (March), European outside Rome (June) and Games in Paris (August), clearly the goal is the summer and fulfilling his dream of becoming an Olympian. “The priority it’s always summer, but this year we planned the Games with all priority,” he explains. “We’re going to build an indoor track as much as we can, but we’ve extended the quantity period thinking about the Paris 2024 games,” said the Spaniard, who already has the minimum to compete in Glasgow from March 1 to 3. “The main goal is Paris, but in European We also want there,” he commented without ruling out his participation in Rome from June 7 to 12. “Rome will be the most affordable championship for the Spaniards to get a good result, but talking about a medal is a big word for me,” he confessed. “prefer a good result to the games”, he confessed.

“We have extend with the base and the rhythm of the competition came a little later, but I faced a season very exciting and, for now, everything is going according to plan, “he will finish with great motivation a season that should be his dedication and will reach his sporting maturity at 29 years old.