More than a month before the Olympic Games in Paris, Ana Peleteiro He was very happy to attend the appointment. He completed a great season with a bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and a gold at the European Championships in Rome. She wants to put the cherry on top in the French city, where she aspires to climb to the top of the podium, something she has been preparing for since she gave birth to Lúa in December 2022.
Peleteiro (Ribeira, Galicia; 1995) was 28 years old at the best moment of his sports career. Without the Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas, Olympic champion and four-time world outdoor champion, who is injured, the Spanish athlete is eager for gold in Paris in the triple jump. To achieve this, he worked hard in Guadalajara under the orders of Ivan Pedroso, where he achieved the best results of his career.
After giving birth, her return just one year ago, in June 2023, was successful and her results are increasing. At the last European Championship in Rome, he was proclaimed European champion with a jump of 14.85 meters, just two centimeters shy of his personal best, the 14.87 that earned him bronze at Tokyo 2020.
The Galician, in full preparation for the Games, spoke to EFE at a Bridgestone event held at the Spanish Olympic Committee.
Q: The Olympic Games are just over a month away. What time are you?
A: During the transition, but can’t rest too much. We have the Spanish Championship, where I have nothing at stake because I have the minimum and no direct rival with whom to play for a place. I’m just loading up to rest for two days after the Nationals and then fully prepare for the Games.
Q: Is this the best season of your career?
A: I think so, both at a maturity level and at a physical level. I’m feeling fine and I’m pretty ready for what’s to come.
Q: Yulimar Rojas will miss the Games due to injury and the column for Olympic gold will be open. Do you see it that way?
A: In athletics, there is no certainty. Last year he was world champion with 15.08 meters, a mark that works for everyone. Every competition is every competition and every championship is every championship. Obviously the fact that he is not there changes the panorama but since I gave birth I have been preparing to become an Olympic champion. However, without Yulimar, nothing is guaranteed. I have to get there and fight it.
Q: When you found out about Yulimar’s injury, what went through your mind?
A: I experienced it live. The last thing I thought about was sports. Yuli is my rival, but he is my training partner and friend. As the days passed, with perspective, I thought about what it entailed, but the last thing I thought about was at the competitive level. I am a very empathetic person, I love mine very much and I was sorry for what happened to him.
Q: With the Games just a month away, what are you focusing on or what small detail can be improved?
A: Honestly, blind trust in Ivan Pedroso. I focus on making our relationship good, listening to him, making the most of the training one hundred percent. Trusting your coach is the most important thing and that there is a good atmosphere on the court. You need to train hard and rest.
Q: What does Ivan Pedroso mean to your career?
A: After eight years working together he is not only my coach, he is my friend. We form a very good team and everything we have achieved together is incredible and that is one hundred percent thanks to mutual trust. it’s fifty fifty.
Q: You are a mother, an elite athlete, you travel a lot. How do you handle reconciliation?
A: It is carried as it can be carried. I was very lucky because we handled it well. I took it for concentration when I could. Thanks to the support of Team España, CSD’s aid covers support for female athletes. There are many athletes who rely on this help one hundred percent to carry them out and so I think it is important to talk about them, because not everyone knows that they have them. If the level of Spanish sport is rising, it is thanks to the fact that there is more trust in sport and support from the government and CSD.
My girl fits everything. He goes to competitions, to concentrations, sleeps well, allowing our parents to rest. Both Benjamin Compaoré and I make a very good team. When we need help from parents, if they can, they come, and that’s how we go.
Q: Have you ever said that motherhood has changed you for the better as a person and athlete. Because?
A: I think so. If I compare myself to Ana three years ago in Tokyo, I think I am a better person and a better athlete and what happened in my life is that I have met my husband and had a daughter. What comes with having a family like the one I have. It gives me the emotional stability that allows me to be the best version of myself.
Q: In recent days, there has been a lot of talk about the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation’s standards of excellence and some athletes are criticizing them for leaving a trail. Do you think they are okay or should we be more sympathetic as this is an important appointment?
A: If I’m honest, when it’s the turn of a friend of mine or a colleague that I have special affection for, of course I would prefer that they hire the person even if they lack hundredths, but the criteria have to be met. If they are not met, the athlete can report to CAS and this is the biggest problem there. If you open your hand with one you have to open it with everyone else and it’s not fair for those left behind in other competitions. The Olympic Games are the most important, but also a European or World Cup.
I am one of those who think the criteria should be met. When there is no standard, people complain because everything is so ambiguous and everything is outdated. Now it’s out of hand, all because you’ve earned it. I am in favor of having a standard because the standard protects the athlete. There are countries like Cuba, I say that because it touches me the most, where there are no standards. They were told one day that they had to compete, they would risk the tour and if they didn’t do the minimum they wouldn’t go. In my opinion, this puts the athlete under more stress than the standard published months ago. Obviously you always lose someone along the way and maybe you stay very close.
The great thing about athletics is that we are a numbers sport and those numbers win you a medal or place fourth. Go to some Games or stay away. I am in favor of these standards. And not to defend the federation, far from it, but I believe that these standards protect the athlete even if they are hard to see.
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.
