The joy could not be complete for Spanish Para athletics in the marathon of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Moments after that Alberto Suarez won the silver medal in the men’s T12 category event, Elena Congostwho had come third in the women’s race, was disqualified for an error when crossing the finish line.
Alberto Suárez beat the Moroccan in the final stretch The Amin Chentouf and finished in 2:24:02, 1:57 behind the Tunisian Wajdi BoukhiliThis is the third Paralympic medal for the Asturian, who won gold in London 2012 and another silver in Rio 2016. After finishing fifth in Tokyo 2020, he is back on the Paralympic podium at the age of 46.
“It is always nice to be able to enjoy being on the podium again. We had achieved it in London 2012 y Río 2016. In Tokio 2020 “It wasn’t possible, and now we’re back again,” Suarez told Olympics.com. “There are a lot of people fighting to be on the podium, and being one of the privileged ones makes it even more beautiful.”
The final overtaking of Chentouf was an extra motivation for Alberto Suárez in the always tough final stretch of the marathon.
“The last five kilometres of a marathon are always the hardest and in this case, going up to the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees with the cobblestones and that ramp that you have going up, my legs suffered a little,” confessed Suárez. “But the motivation that I overtook at that moment was very strong, and I was able to overcome the challenge.” [Chentouf] and then facing the descent gave me strength. The atmosphere was so nice that it motivates you and makes you draw strength from wherever you can.”
It was Suárez’s best time of the season, and almost a minute faster than the one he won the gold medal at London 2012. A sign of his longevity in this event, but also of how much the marathon has evolved in that time.
