A number resonates in the Spanish Olympic Committee, and its president, Alejandro Blanco, wakes up every morning in Paris thinking about 23, or 22 +1, the challenge of surpassing the historic record of medals achieved at the Barcelona Games. That is five more than in the last two Olympic events, the 17 podiums in Rio and Tokyo, and only three golds in that summer of the pandemic. Paris is the place of vindication, the place in which to finally break that record driven to the shelter of home, or that is the promise, the hope. The expedition charters 382 athletes, almost 70 more than in Tokyo. Expectations are high, but Spain only bites one bronze in five days, that of judoka Fran Garrigós, and a certain disappointment spreads when in the days following that uncorking the shots at the post accumulate.
The dynamics of the Games usually combine these rounds of discouragement with others of euphoria, things of the calendar. Yesterday the script changes. María Pérez, silver in the 20km walk, and Álvaro Martín, bronze in the same event, brighten the morning of the Spanish fans, who see the hard-working athletes dripping sweat next to the Eiffel Tower, and finally they earn the poster that they could not celebrate last summer. On Sunday, August 20th of last year both were proclaimed world champions of the distance in Budapest, but that success was buried by the World Cup that the women’s team won in Australia against England, and by all the gunpowder following Luis Rubiales’ kiss to Jenni Hermoso. Four days later, on Thursday 24th, the walkers repeated gold, in the 35 km, another silenced cry of vindication. And now, on the great Olympic catwalk in Paris, they finally win all the spotlights for themselves.
Two new medals complete the day that once again crowns Simone Biles on the international catwalk. Boxer Enmanuel Reyes, the Prophet, of Cuban origin, secures the medal, at least bronze, by reaching the semi-finals of the -92 kg category. And the surprise is scored by Pau Echaniz, bronze in K1 in the Vaires-sur-Marne canal, where the hopes of Maialen Chourraut and Miquel Travé were drowned by errors on the downhills.
The first gold medal, the great coup, the mark of greatness, the star that almost 30 countries have already worn on their chests at these Games, but not yet Spain, is still elusive. Diego Botín and Florian Trittel are close to winning it in the 49er sailing category, but the lack of wind in La Marina de Marseille, a sauna, forces the decisive race, the Medal Race, to be suspended twice, in which a third place would be enough to take them to the top. It is psychological torture for the sailors, and everything depends on the conditions at sea this Friday (the race scheduled for 13.10). It is sailing to the rescue, the discipline that has brought Spain the most medals (21) and the most golds (13) at the Games.
Tennis is also aiming for heaven. Carlos Alcaraz is already in the semi-finals of the singles draw after his adventure with Rafa Nadal, and on the horizon appears the desire to repeat the feat after his peak this season in the French Grand Slam and at Wimbledon, and Cristina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes are also conquering the penultimate stage of the doubles at Roland Garros. The men’s football team will be competing in the same round this Friday against Japan and the women’s team against Colombia on Saturday.
In the quarterfinals Carolina Marín lands after a furious comeback reminiscent of the Rio champion, and Ana Peleteiro and Jordan Díaz warm up at the head of the athletics team. Niko Sherazadishvili’s chances on the tatami (the curse of fourth place in judo) and Hugo González’s chances in the 200m backstroke in the La Defénse pool fade away. At least the medal table is officially unblocked after some disappointments. There are still 10 days of Olympic Games ahead, the period in which Spanish sport aspires to the challenge of 23.
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