With a bronze medal at the age of twenty and in his first event at the Paralympic Games. This is how young Enrique Alhambra presented himself at the Paris Games where he achieved one of the surprise medals on the first day.
It was in the 100 butterfly S13, in a final with a double Spanish presence. At 56.27 seconds he was third in a test with Juan Ferrón seventh (59.77). Up front, Ihar Boki (54.13) won without a flag in a great duel against Frenchman Alex Portal (54.38).
Alhambra, not among the favorites, came to the grand final undefeated. This caused him to let go in a big way. Boki took off from the start at breakneck speed and dragged the Portal with him amid the deafening cheers of the La Défense crowd. Both opened up a gap and met for a match for the gold with the Russian taking the wall touch.
But it left the match open. Ukrainian Oleksii Virchenko found he couldn’t keep up with the pace of the two men ahead, despite scoring a fifty in third position. Alhambra, a bit more conservative at the start but well placed on his feet, showed a sprint in the final meters to chase down his rival and win the bronze medal in style.
In his first participation in the Paralympic Games and in his debut event, he is already part of the medal table of the national team. His medal reaffirms the future commitment made by the entire national block, which has several programs to try to promote the inclusion of the youngest in their various teams.
From behind, Juan Ferrón could not enter the match. Located in seventh place on the first pitch, he kept it in second to clock 59.77 seconds, with no chance to gain positions.
“I’m confused”
Voluntary and sympathetic, Enrique Alhambra passes through mixed zones. “It could not taste better. My first test in the Games. I’m freaking out, I can’t express it clearly,” said an excited Alhambra, surprised by the atmosphere. “You will see all the support,” he thanked. “Until the championship is over I won’t have anything to celebrate because I still have a lot of challenges to look forward to,” said the new medalist.
At that moment when his partner María Delgado, very happy, came to greet him with tears in her eyes. “I am very excited for him. I fulfilled this dream eight years ago,” she acknowledged on a day in which she was not able to take the podium.
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.
