PARIS —
Moments after profitable Mexico’s first medal on the Paris Olympics, Alejandra Valencia and Ana Paula Vázquez hugged Angela Ruiz tightly. Not just for the achievement of profitable a bronze medal however as a result of they saved a promise to their buddy on her birthday.
The Mexicans defeated the Netherlands 6-2 on Sunday within the match for third place within the girls’s archery workforce competitors.
In an in depth competitors held on the Invalides complicated and with three arrows lacking, it appeared that Ruiz would have a bitter birthday celebration, however Valencia and Vázquez ensured in any other case by closing with 4 good executions.
“Earlier than capturing the final three arrows, we talked to one another. We advised Angela, ‘Don’t fret, we’ll offer you this reward and dedicate it to you,’” Valencia recalled with fun. “This celebration was deliberate, and that is why it was included within the Video games calendar.”
That is the fourth Olympic medal in archery for Mexicans, the third bronze and the primary on this occasion.
“It was already irritating for the complete archery workforce as a result of we do very effectively in World Cups and different occasions as a workforce, however for some cause we had by no means achieved one within the Olympic Video games,” stated Vázquez.
With this victory, Valencia returned to the rostrum of a summer time occasion after profitable the bronze medal in Tokyo 2020 alongside Luis Álvarez within the blended occasion.
As well as, the Sonoran turns into the fourth Mexican girl to win a number of medals. The others are María del Rosario Espinoza in taekwondo, in addition to divers Paola Espinosa and Alejandra Orozco.
“Somewhat than feeling or fascinated with what this medal entails, it helps me think about what comes subsequent, which is the person after which the blended along with Matías (Grande),” stated Valencia. “We wished the gold, but it surely wasn’t doable within the semi-final after which we did what we needed to do, once we needed to do it.”
The Mexican girls’s workforce is an ideal mixture of abilities. Valencia is the veteran who’s in her fourth Olympic Video games, Vazquez is in her second and Ortiz is the newcomer.
“I really feel very comfortable, not just for my birthday but additionally for the assist of my teammates, particularly for the arrogance they’ve in me when it is my flip to shoot in the course of the sport,” stated Ortiz.
On the day she got here of age, Ortiz joined Aída Román (silver) and Mariana Avitia (bronze), who received in London 2012, as Mexican medalists on this self-discipline.
Mexico superior on to the quarterfinals after ending in third place within the qualifying spherical, solely surpassed by South Korea and China.
Within the quarterfinals, they settled their scores by eliminating Germany 5-1, which had been their executioner in the identical occasion in Tokyo three years in the past, when the Mexican workforce was made up of Valencia Vázquez and Román.
“It was an unbelievable day for me, despite the fact that we awakened with a bit of scare, however then all the pieces fell into place and we did very effectively,” stated Ortiz.
Valencia stated they virtually missed the transport to the archery venue, however she managed to get up early and awakened her classmates so they would not be late.
The three of them knew it was a day to have fun.
