MADRID, 12 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spanish athlete María Pérez acknowledged on Monday that her two medals won at the Paris Olympic Games, the gold in the mixed relay with Álvaro Martín and the silver in the 20-kilometer race, were “a blessing” and weighed heavily “because of the work it took to achieve them.”
“Well, they taste like glory, I already said it, a circle has come full circle. I think that was the only thing that any Spanish athlete in athletics was missing, which was the triple crown and to do it together with Álvaro (Martín), so much the better,” said Pérez upon his arrival in Madrid from Paris.
The two-time medallist made it clear that her medals weighed “quite a bit, also because of the work involved.” “I wear them proudly around my neck for all the people who have been with me during this difficult year,” she said.
Pérez considers the performance of the Spanish delegation in Paris 2024 to be good despite not surpassing the 22 medals of Barcelona. “For me it has been positive. Being there and competing is the difficult part and we all remember Carolina Marín who was there fighting and her injury was a bucket of cold water for the entire Spanish delegation. The shame has been that many countries have been more favorites than us when we took those medals for granted,” he explained.
The Granada native had a “great time” at the closing ceremony of Paris 2024, where she was the flag bearer alongside fellow athlete Jordan Díaz. “I felt lucky. I think they brought together two people who are very ‘party-loving’. When we saw that Spain was coming towards us, we started singing the typical songs. We were able to enjoy it because it is true that it is a much more informal ceremony than the one we are used to at the opening,” she said.
Despite this final effort, the race walker still has some “strength” left. “I got up very early and got up at 5 in the morning, but yes, I’m looking forward to it. In the end, this is for all Spaniards and it’s something that you have to enjoy and you have to stay up late to be able to enjoy it with your family,” she confessed.
Finally, the Orce native hopes that her great-grandmother, who was very excited about her gold, is “happy” with her medals. “It’s true that until you get to Spain you weren’t aware of everything you had done and now I’m looking forward to returning home and, as you said, being able to put the medals around her neck,” she hoped.