Their names were recorded in Spanish Olympism during an August afternoon in Paris. Vega Gimeno, Sandra Ygueravide, Juana Camilión and Gracia Alonso de Armor discovered many fans the magic of 3×3 basketball with a silver medal at the Olympic Games as unexpected as it brilliant. The selection that had been classified with an implausible back basket in the last second of the Pre-Olympic was jumping obstacles to the great bell of beating the United States in the semifinals (18-16). Hours later they would lose the final against Germany (17-16), but they had already won another gold, to make visible a discipline that did not go from being a street sport until it does not do. Spain met 3×3 thanks to a female team that 19 days after that bombing conquered the European and now returns to the court in the Cup of Masters that is played in Bangkok between this Friday and Sunday.
The FIBA organizes the first edition of this World Cup that Spain goes as a European champion and in which Group B shares with France, Australia and Thailand. China, Germany, Canada and Madagascar are ready in A. The first two of each group cross in the semifinals. The Spanish team presents many new faces because of the four Paris medalists only repeats Vega Gimeno (34 years). His is a peculiar case. The Valencian eaves retired this summer from traditional basketball, 5×5, after the last three seasons at Casademont Zaragoza, but those months of success have encouraged him to continue in 3×3. The other companions are still in the gap in the Endesa Women’s League: Ygueravide (40 years), at Spar Girona, and Camilión (25) and Alonso (32) in the Movistar Students. The League does not stop by 3×3 and the three players also dispute the Queen’s Cup next week, hence the Federation has agreed not to summon them for the World Cup. In their place, three basisists attend whose teams do not go to the cupo tournament: Ceci Muhate (Ensino Lugo), Alba Prieto (Ikd Euskotren) and Ainhoa Gervasini (Cadí la Seu).
“We are going without filming. It is the first time that we are going to play the four meetings, ”Gimeno tells El País. The Olympic silver not only matched the ceiling of Spanish basketball (the male runners -up in 1984, 2008 and 2012), but adorned a personal palm tree with two golds and two European silvers in 3×3, 113 international games, and a league and two glasses with the Ecópolis Rivas and another cup with Zaragoza in 5×5. “It was a very meditated withdrawal. I wanted to leave him feeling well, being important. I had no physical problem. I didn’t retire because I was asking for the time. It was due to mental tiredness, motivation. It was many years playing double competition and it was the perfect time to end a good taste. I didn’t know if I was going to continue with 3×3, but as summer was, I wanted to lengthen it for another year, ”says Gimeno.
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In these months he has trained in Valencia with a technician on the track, the Uruguayan Lucas Lepiani, in addition to a physical trainer, a physiotherapist and a nutritionist. Last week he signed a private Thai team for a tournament and was MVP and top scorer. “The 3×3 is much more dynamic. Decision making is faster, contact is much more. You don’t want to stop the game continuously, and that’s why it’s harder physically. And you need players who are not specialists, but complete, ”says Gimeno.
Spain goes to Bangkok with Nuria Martínez as a coach instead of Ana Junyer. In June it will compete in the Mongolia World Cup, and in September will defend European gold. Gimen hopes to extend his passion. “Because of my character and how I imply, the important thing is that I want to continue,” he says. There is no life for her in 5×5, but in 3×3.
