SAINT-DENIS.- During the cycle destined for what will probably be their last Paris OlympicsRosa Rodríguez suffered a very important family loss, which is why she hopes the competition will be memorable.
So far, that’s how it has been.
Rodriguez on Sunday achieved a record of 71.76 meters to finish in tenth place in the hammer throw classification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and will fight for medals in a couple of days.
“I’m still assimilating the information, but I feel very good. I worked very hard in this competition and the results I expected came,” Rodriguez told The Associated Press. “Hopefully in the finals I’ll be better.”
For Rodriguez, 38, the Paris Olympics are the fourth of her career. She finished 27th in London 2012, reached the final and finished 10th in Rio 2016, and finished 22nd in Tokyo 2020, suffering from a back injury.
“I’m back because in Tokyo 2020 I couldn’t compete as I wanted because I had a couple of herniated discs in the lumbar area, but I’m better now and I was able to do the work today,” said the Venezuelanwho had to ask the public for resources to sponsor his preparation.
Rodríguez has a brilliant track record in regional competitions. At the Pan American Games, she won the gold medal in Toronto 2015, then added a bronze in Lima 2019 and a silver in Santiago 2023.
“What remains in the final is to give 150 percent and try to do my best. Now I am shaking with emotion, I will wait until the end of the day to calm down and think about the final where anything can happen,” he added. “Let’s hope that on that day everything goes well.”
Special dedication
Visibly emotional, the Venezuelan athlete said she would try to call her family after the race to tell them how happy she was, but she regretted that one of the most influential people in her life will no longer be able to take her calls: her grandmother.
“I have disconnected from social media these days because they bombard you and unbalance you, but I will look for them,” said Rodriguez. “The only one I will miss is my grandmother who passed away on the way to the Games when I was preparing. This is for her.”
