The Alcoyan gymnast Laura Casabuena He assured, after qualifying for Olympic Games in Paris at the World Cup in Doha (Qatar), having achieved a “lifelong dream” and will prepare “fully” for this summer’s Olympic event.
“I’m so happy. It’s hard to explain. Excited, satisfied, comforted, sensitive, excited… It’s been a few days but I can’t believe it. I will figure it out as the days go by. But, above all, with the feeling that I have achieved the goal that I fought so hard for, and for which I had to make an enormous effort,” he told the FER Project.
Casabuena, from 18 years, won a bronze medal in the floor final and fifth in the balance beam. “On the key day, I arrived at the pavilion very nervous. I tried to calm myself down. I tried to relax. I said to myself: ‘come on, you are facing the moment you dreamed of.; and you have it in your hand.’ But I can not. The passport for the Games is at stake. A lot of pressure,” he acknowledged.
“The two nights before the finals it was impossible to sleep. Usually, always, and even though I’m very tired at the end of the day, I don’t sleep well. I must have been very nervous, which I am… That’s why, this time, I found it more difficult, if possible, to fall asleep. I slept a little, yes, but little and badly,” he said.
With the first of four World Cup events being held in Cairo in mid-February, Casabuena explained that the two months he had to face were difficult and complicated in equal measure.
“Physically, because there has been no rest since last year. There are four World Cups in just two months. It’s impossible to let your guard down. And mentally, because there are weeks of permanent emotional ups and downs. Illusion and hope, but also pressure and anxiety. I started well; Then, it got complicated: later, I was able to recover… I’m still young, but I don’t think I will ever face two months of so much stress and tension again,” he expressed.
After the balance beam, Casabuena knew she was an Olympian, but there was still the floor final where she won bronze. “At that moment, honestly, I didn’t even know where I was. I know I’m an Olympic athlete, but I still haven’t been able to fully celebrate because I missed the floor final,” she recalled.
“I was confused, disoriented… but I breathed a sigh of relief and focused. Deep down, the subconscious intervened and allowed me to face the final floor with greater peace of mind. Coach Lucía Guisado’s words also helped me a lot,” he added.
Finally, Casabuena, who noted that he has more than 500 messages on his cell phone, will have the European Championship in just over a week, a competition in which he will compete and, above all, enjoy with ticket to Paris.
“Of course, as always, I want to get the best result, but it is a privilege to face an important tournament without the tension and pressure of the last two months,” he concluded.
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.
