Lesman Paredes, the Colombian who is going to the Olympic Games, but will compete for Bahrain

The story of Lesman Paredes It is very particular. This Friday it was confirmed that the Colombian weightlifter will take part in the Paris Olympic Games, but he will do it on behalf of Bahrain.

Paredes was nationalized by that country in July 2021, but this Friday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) endorsed his participation in Paris for Bahrain. The governing body also made official 10 more athletes who, like the Colombian, will go to the competitions in another country that is not the one of their birth.

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List the task

“I am already preparing for the Olympics. We are in Turkey in concentration. I have many aspirations. According to the brands, I am aspiring to second or third place,” Paredes told TIME.

It all started in 2021, when Paredes, who was born in Cali, won two golds in the 96 kilo category at the World Cup in Uzbekistan. He did it in the clean and jerk with 187 kilos, a world record, and also won the gold medal in total.

That result was key, because the weightlifting leaders in Bahrain set their sights on him, called him and suggested he compete for that country.

Lesman listened to the offer, weighed benefits, conditions, pros and cons and said yes.

“The support was going to be better for preparation, they give me everything I need and the economic part is much better, that’s why I decided,” he told EL TIEMPO in 2021.

And he added: “I am not going to say that qualifying for the Olympics will be easy, but it is clear that staying in Colombia was not a guarantee. Here I had to fight with my teammates and their level is very high.”

The process did not last long and he became a citizen of Bahrain. That time, the Colombian weightlifters, his teammates on the national team, gave him full support. Lesman says that they are happy and for him Bogota World Cup He trained with them.

“They know that the situation in the country with sports is not the best. Athletes have a quarter of an hour and many times you spend your life doing sports and achieve little, you finish your career and no matter how well it goes for you in the end nothing happens,” Paredes said.

Bahrain, for him, is a guarantee of tranquility. He does not have to think about the fact that there is no money for travel, for registration, for plane tickets, hotels and food, one more reason to take that step.

Lesman will look for the Olympic medal, he is sure he can get it, but he does not forget his roots. He earns good money, he has all the comforts, but he understands that he has to continue fighting and that he should not believe the King of Bahrain.