Bea Ortiz: “A gold in Paris? We dream big”

With his bags packed for his third Olympic Games, the water polo player Bea Ortiz (Rubí, Barcelona. 1995) admitted in an interview with EFE that the team “dream big” with gold in Parisa good way to rmade up for losing the Olympic final in the last Games in Tokyo against the United States.

Talk about him physical and mental work done in a year including the European, World and Gamesapart from team competitions, where, if applicable, He won the Champions League with CN Sabadell.

But also about the fact that team unity is their secret, about how ‘Potra Salvaje’ is Miki Oca’s soundtrack: “It was a long time before the members” of the Spanish men’s soccer team at the Euro Cup made it fashionable and how they worked to try to end the mental block caused by measuring themselves against the United States, their ‘black that animal’.

Question – After a very intense season comes the big moment of the year…

Answer – This is a year in which our mental health becomes key, the mental work that each of us does, in addition to the physical work. We’ve all done a great job, we know the moment we’re in, we know when we have to step down, how much we have to push our mind and our body, and I think that’s what you learn to do as a professional over the years. .

Q – How do you deal with this mentally?

A – Having years as complicated as this one teaches you to cope with it, to know how to do it, to ask for help if you really need it and I believe that each of us is aware of what our body and mind ask of us and how to do it.

Q – They will be your third Games (Rio, Tokyo, Paris)…

A – The Tokyo Games are different, after the pandemic, in a country further away from Spain. In Tokyo, we enjoyed it a lot, but it’s true that being in Paris, close to home, with the opportunity for our relatives to come to us and cheer us on, I think we’ll have that extra. But it is about proceeding with a focused mind, going our way for our purpose and everything else being secondary,

Q- How do you see the team?

A – Good. We came from a tournament in Rotterdam that was very good for us, I think we are making an incredible preparation, it has been difficult, but in the end nothing is easy, and if we want to achieve something good, in I think we are on the right track.

Q – When you started playing water polo, did you imagine a career like that?

A – No. Just the other day I talked about it with my brothers and one of my best friends… If someone had told me that I would be playing in the Olympic Games again, after everything I had achieved, I would not have believed it, but well, I believe that in the end everything is the result of the work we do all this time and every effort has a reward.

Q – Does the pressure of getting a medal hurt the team?

A – What others say won’t hurt us, we won’t feel more pressure because of it. People trust us, they see a strong team, a united team that has been giving everything for many years. A lot is expected of us, but that pressure should not be carried on our backs. We are already demanding enough to add pressure from others and we are all aware of the level we have, the level we can give. It can go wrong, because this is sport, but as long as we have clear ideas and know what we want, hopefully we can show everyone that we are still at the top.

Q – What will happen to Spain when it plays against the USA (8 losses in 11 official matches, the last victory dates back to 2013)?

A – Just this year we were able to train with them at a ‘stage’ here at CAR in Sant Cugat and one of the things we worked on was: removing pressure, forgetting what happened a few years ago, everything is a thing. of the past. We will focus on this year, because I think we have enough level to beat any team. Against the United States we can win or lose, but we are no longer afraid to play against them.

Q – What are the reasons to believe in the team blindly?

A- The union that this group has. Players come and go, but that union was a plus to win everything we won.

Q – Do you know what Spain’s team’s last gold medal in a Games was?

A – I would say Atlanta 96, in water polo. Of course, I can imagine the possibility of repeating that, we dream it big.

Q – What will be the team’s soundtrack in Paris?

A – We have many songs. When we go to the gym we try to liven up the workout, Paula Leiton is usually the DJ and there is always a summer song, and it is “Potra Savage” that we listen to all year round. As soon as it plays, we go up, we are excited, we get energy and of course we discovered it before the Spanish soccer team in the Euro Cup, now they won the Euro, but I guarantee that we discovered that song then and We danced it in front of them.

Q – How do you try to disconnect?

A – To disconnect, we’ll pick up a board game. When we rest or have free time we are a team, we walk around town, we go to see the shops or the Olympic ring, and if we don’t want to stay in the room or at home and play games board game, we watch other sports TV and more personally, I read and watch some series.

We had so much fun with a card game called Exploding Kittens, we took it everywhere. When can we play because there are many people who can join.

Q – How do you view the competition?

A – It can be a very good tournament if we do well, we are on the right track, things are clear and we have done a good job, we all know what to do. You have to trust, but most of all you have to enjoy the journey. Maybe they are late to some teams, I think we have to give everything and no matter what, we don’t regret not having enjoyed it enough.