MADRID, 20 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish ‘rider’ Queralt Castellet acknowledges that she finds it “incredible” to be where she is after having won a medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics that she hopes will serve to “give momentum to grow” her sport and have “more girls start dreaming” as she did.
“I hope that this medal means motivation and a boost to grow snowboarding in Spain and that there may be more ‘riders’ who want to get to the Olympic Games,” Castellet told Europa Press after the reception at the Spanish Olympic Committee ( COE) after arriving from the Chinese capital with his silver in the ‘halfpipe’ mode.
Despite a new success, which is added to the numerous ones she has achieved in the World Cups and two World Cup medals, Sabadell “does not” see herself among the pioneers “of Spanish sport”. “But surely yes when it comes to medals in snowboarding. It’s amazing to be where I am and to have won an Olympic medal is something that makes me very happy,” she remarked.
The Catalan considered it “enormous” to have become the second woman, 30 years after Blanca Fernández-Ochoa’s bronze in slalom, to have a winter Olympic metal and wishes that it also help women’s sport. “This is data that indicates that it is possible, that if women work we can be there and I hope it is motivation that causes more girls to start dreaming like this in the future,” said the ‘rider’.
And it would also be key that Spain could host the Games, with the 2030 candidacy as a good option if all the parties finally agree. Castellet has been “quite removed” from everything that is happening, but she is clear that this appointment would give “visibility to snowboarding and all winter sports that need it very much,” she stressed.
Regarding his competition in Beijing, he confessed that “all week” it cost him “a lot to sleep”, but that, instead, he was able to gather “strength” and the day before he slept “quite well”, while insisting that it was ” a little hard” to see the low score that the judges gave him in the first round.
“Then they realized it anyway, but it could have been too late. I’m happy that I was able to put the strength and concentration to do the second round that I wanted and that it was even better. They scored me very differently and I’m happy that they value the technique and the difficulty”, added the Olympic runner-up.
Finally, the Catalan referred to the figure of her coach, the American Danny Kaas, silver in his modality in the 2002 and 2006 Games and who has “contributed a lot”. “He is a reference and from the first moment I only knew this, but when I started training with him it was incredible to know what is behind his ‘riding’ and to know all that technique from his voice. He has given me a lot technically, but also the enjoy the ‘snow’ every day, we are having a great time,” he said.
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