Colombia It is power in weights and lives a key event to find out the places it will have in the Paris Olympic Games-2024, when the Weightlifting World Cup until April 11 in Thailand.
The delegation seeks, at least, to confirm the two quotas for men and the other two for women that they have so far, but the idea is to go find one more in the men's competition.
What there is
The team is led by coach Luis Arrieta and made up of Yenny Álvarez (59 kg), Marileivis Sánchez (71), Miyareth Mendoza (81), in women, and Luis Javier Mosquera (73 kilos), Yeison López (89 kg) and Jhonatan Rivas and Oscar Garcés (102 kg), those who are looking for their place.
“It is very difficult to achieve 3 spots in women and the same number in men. We aspire to keep the 2 and 2, but there is a good option for a man to go at 102 kilos,” he said. William Peña, president of the Colombian Weightlifting Federation.
The leader warned that the issue is difficult, since the weightlifting problems with doping in the world made the International Olympic Committee (IOC) narrow down the options. In Tokyo, 164 men and 164 women competed, while in Paris there will only be 60 men and 60 women.
“I'm third in the rankings and the top 10 are there. They will hardly get me off the bus, although it is somewhat uncertain. You have to go to Thailand to participate and wait for the final list to come out. I am very calm and one step away from fulfilling my dream,” Yeison López told EL TIEMPO.
Is not easy
Rivas is one of the men who aspires to go to the Olympics. The weightlifter from Valle del Cauca understands that it is not easy, but warns that he will give it his all.
“I have to make a good mark to get into the group. In Thailand the competition will be difficult, but I know it is my last chance. I come from a shoulder problem, but I think I'm fine, from what I've seen in training,” Rivas commented.
He will be in the 102 kilo event and that gold medal he won at the Pan American Games in Santiago in 2023 is like an incentive.
“China It has 3 men and 3 women, it is the only country that has the majority of possible quotas. That about Santiago tells me that I am fine and that in Thailand I can achieve my goal,” Rivas said.
He believes that for Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 The loads will be balanced, since the cut in quotas for Paris is impressive, all due to the inconvenience of lack of fair play.
“In 208 everything will be fine. It was going with 120 athletes or losing the option to compete in the Olympics,” he stated.
Weightlifting has given Colombian sports nine Olympic medals, including two gold, four silver and three bronze, and in Paris that tally may increase.
In the Olympics, the divisions in competition for men will be 61, 73, 89, 102 and 109 kilos, while in women they will compete in 49, 59, 71, 81 and more 81, in which they will fight for medals.
#Colombian #weightlifters #face #challenge #achieve #Olympic #quotas #Paris
