Colombian Yeison López said that the silver medal in weightlifting he won this Friday at the Paris Olympics is “the beginning of another dream” and he celebrated it in the style of Cristiano Ronaldo, who he said serves as an inspiration to him.
“I am very excited because another dream is beginning, which is to be able to have my own house, so for me it is wonderful to be able to dream of having a house, I know that I will be able to achieve it with God’s help,” said the athlete born in the department of Chocó, from which he was displaced by violence with “swamp boots and torn pants” to Cali, the city where he trained as an athlete.
López could not hide her emotion over the silver medal and broke down in tears both in her statements to Colombian journalists and in live conversations with her parents, who celebrated her achievement from a distance.
López reached a total weight of 390 kilos, after performing a snatch with 180 kilos and a clean and jerk of 210, with which he finished second in the 89 kilo category and thus gave Colombia its second silver medal after the one won by Ángel Barajas on the high bar.
The gold medal went to Bulgarian Karlos Nasar, who also broke the world record by lifting 404 kilos.
Christian celebration
Yeison López celebrated the silver medal with the same arm movements that Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo makes when he scores a goal.
“I’m a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s a wonderful athlete who inspires me,” Lopez told reporters when asked about the celebration.
López, also known as ‘Goku’ – the protagonist of the manga and anime series ‘Dragon Ball’, comes from a humble family from Chocó, who after being displaced from their homeland, arrived in Cali, the capital of the department of Valle del Cauca, where he sold candy on the streets to survive.
The weightlifter, who was on the verge of depression when he was banned from competition for several years due to a sanction for alleged doping that he could not appeal due to lack of resources, expressed today his confidence that from now on everything will be better for him and his family.
“I hope in God that I can get to Colombia and have that support. I know that Colombia is a supportive country, where they will help me fulfill that dream” of having my own home, she added.
Like the Phoenix
Yeison López’s career was on the rise when he was sanctioned for adverse results in doping tests at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships held in Miami (USA) in 2017.
After serving his suspension, he returned to weightlifting but did not qualify for Tokyo 2020.
The athlete recalled that his path in sport has not been easy and that even his participation in the Olympics was put on hold because he suffered a back injury.
“Three weeks ago, my dream seemed to be slipping away. I had a back injury that forced me to stop for two weeks. My training was cut short. Only my brother, my older sister and my girlfriend know about this,” said López, who in 2018 participated in the reality show ‘Desafío Súper Humanos’ on Colombian television, in which he had a remarkable performance.
The medallist ended by asking for support for the athletes in games in which the Colombian campaign has been criticised for its poor results.
“I want to make a call to Colombians, regardless of the result, the athlete has come here to give 100 percent. It is very easy to sit at home and talk about the results of the competitions, but believe me, no Colombian came to give 90 percent, let’s support them,” he said. EFE
