Paris 2024 Olympic Games: The keys to Ángel Barajas’ medal… / Column by Jairo Ruiz, the gymnast’s coach

It is an unforgettable day for Angel Barajasfor the country’s gymnastics and for Colombia.

I don’t know how to describe this silver medal. These moments are very exciting because we have been working for this for many years. Angel had three keys to be a silver medalist, to get on the podium: the discipline that he has had throughout his careerall the elements that he executed to obtain second place and the God’s help.

I don’t think the medal has been brought forward, although he had said that his best performance would be at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, what I think is that now the challenge is much more difficult, because We have to demand more from ourselves and our rivals will analyze us much more.

You have to educate the family, the athlete, because winning a medal at the Olympics could change a course, that is why you have to be very careful. Luckily I have Angelica, the mother, who is my second assistant, because she is in charge of taking care of Angel when he leaves training, She does invisible work and that must be highlighted. I hope no one gets sidetracked.

The starting grade made the difference. The Japanese was superior in that grade, but it is not Barajas’ best, he has overcome that detail, but this time the gold winner did a much cleaner job and that is why he made the difference.

Silver is a stepping stone to bigger thingsbut we must reason, put our feet on the ground, stabilize in order to properly prepare this young man who is still a teenager. I am proud of him, of his family, and I want to say that the Colombian Olympic Committee (COC) never denied me anything.gave me everything I asked for and we were able to respond.

Angel is a medalist, but what is coming is even harder. It is clear that I was emotional, It was what I was missing, an Olympic medal, and I speak in the first person, representing a countryto a team made up of people who have been working alongside me for many years.

Today I remember when we started, the days and days of work with the local teams, trying to recruit athletes like Jossimar Calvo, Barajas and many more.

We have worked well, but with difficulties, outside the country. We have been away from home for many months and that makes what Ángel has achieved even more immense. This medal commits us to continue, to not stop.

JAIRO RUIZ

Coach of Barajas

For the time

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