For Mexico, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have the salty taste of athletes’ tears as they try to achieve glory or come very close to winning medals.
In the Paris 2024 calendar we have seen Alexa Moreno fall and smile from the ground during the artistic gymnastics competition; her teammate Natalia Escalera cry while launching herself into the uneven bars event with an injury.
“I wasn’t going to participate, but I had to take as many pills as I could to be able to do it and I’m very happy because I was able to fulfill my dream… They say that the stage is a painkiller. I’m in a lot of pain, but it was the last routine,” Escalera said.
Attention has also turned to sports that were previously unheard of at the Olympic Games: Alan Cleland was one wave away from making it to the quarter-finals in surfing, and Kevin Berlin and Randal Willars came close to winning bronze in synchronised diving, finishing in 4th place.
Gold, silver or bronze: How is Mexico doing in the medal table for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
After five days on the Paris 2024 calendar, Mexico has achieved two medals:
Ana Gabriela Guevara, director of the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport (Conade), announced prior to the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games that the Mexican delegation is seeking 9 medals in this sporting event where 109 athletes participate.
Mexico has a historic record of nine medals at the 1968 Olympic Games, which were held on national territory. Away from home, the highest achievement is eight medals, obtained in London 2012.
Olympic medal table updated today, July 31: Which country has the most medals in Paris 2024?
The Olympic Games will take place over 16 days in Paris, from July 26 to August 11, with 45 disciplines.
As of July 31:
- Mexico is in 34th place.
- China tops the medal table with 21 (11 gold).
- France has the most medals, in second place with 26 (8 gold).
Medal winners: How are Mexicans doing in Paris 2024?
These are the Mexican people who have won medals at the Olympic Games held in France this summer.
Archery
On Olympic day on July 28, 2024, the Mexican women’s archery team (Ángela Ruiz, Alejandra Valencia and Ana Vázquez) won the bronze medal after beating the Netherlands 6-2.
With this, Alejandra Valencia became the fourth Mexican athlete to have more than one Olympic medal: she also won another bronze in the mixed team event at Tokyo 2020 with Luis Álvarez.
Thus, Alejandra joins María Espinoza (gold, silver and bronze in taekwondo), Paola Espinosa (silver and bronze in springboard diving) and Alejandra Orozco (silver and bronze in springboard diving).
Mexican archery has won medals in:
- London 2012: silver for Aida Roman
- London 2012: bronze by Mariana Avitia.
Judo
What a moment Prisca Awiti gave us in the women’s judo final! The judoka born in London to a Mexican mother won Mexico’s first Olympic judo medal, the 25th silver medal in the history of the Mexican delegation, and the 75th in total.
Awiti Alcaraz won the Olympic silver medal in the -63 kilogram category at the Paris Games, losing by ippon to Slovenian Andreja Leski in the final held at the Arena du Champ de Mars.
“I still can’t believe that I’m an Olympic medalist. I’m proud and happy. It wasn’t gold, but I’m happy with my fights,” said Awiti Alcaraz. “It’s an honor to make history. Not only for me, but for the team and the country.”
“In Mexico, women are strong, we have a lot of talent,” added the 28-year-old athlete. “I don’t think this will be the last medal at these Games.”
Awiti Alcaraz joins the ‘club’ of Mexican silver medalists:
- Pilar Roldan (1968)
- Ana Gabriela Guevara (2004)
- Bethlehem Guerrero (2004)
- Aida Roman (2012)
- Paola Espinosa-Alejandra Orozco (2012)
- Guadalupe Gonzalez (2016)
- Maria del Rosario Espinoza (2016)
Mexico on the calendar for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
These are the highlights, day by day, of Mexicans at the Olympic Games:
- Olympic Day of July 27, 2024:
- Mexico earned its first Olympic diploma with the performance of Goretti Zumaya and Edson Ramírez in sport shooting.
- Kenia Lechuga made it to the quarterfinals in rowing.
- Miguel de Lara was disqualified from the 100-meter breaststroke event.
- Olympic Day of July 28, 2024:
- Bronze for women’s team archery.
- Fátima Herrera advanced to the round of 16 in boxing.
- Alexa Moreno, Ahtziri Sandoval and Natalia Escalera had a difficult classification in artistic gymnastics.
- Alan Cleland qualified for the round of 16 in surfing.
- Olympic Day of July 29, 2024:
- Alexis López and Miguel Carballo advanced to the semi-finals in rowing.
- Kevin Berlin and Randal Willars came close to winning bronze, but finished fourth.
- Alan Cleland was eliminated in surfing.
- Olympic Day of July 30, 2024:
- Prisca Awiti secured a silver medal in the judo final.
- Miguel de Lara qualified for the semifinals of the 200-meter breaststroke, but was eliminated.
- Kenia Lechuga finished in 5th place in rowing, qualifying for the C/D semi-final, with no chance of a medal.
- Jorge Iga represented Mexico in the 100-meter freestyle Olympic competition, after 32 years without national swimmers in that category. He finished 32nd.
- Olympic Day on July 31, 2024
- Marco Verde advances to boxing quarterfinals, moves closer to medal.
- Ale Orozco and Gaby Agúndez finished 5th in synchronized diving.
- Lizeth Rueda finished 30th in the women’s individual triathlon; Rosa Tapia was the best in Latin America, finishing 18th.
- Kenia Lechuga advances to the Final C of the women’s singles rowing, without the possibility of a medal.
- Miguel Carballo and Alexis López qualified for one of the finals, which will allow them to improve their number in the Olympic ranking.
- Olympic Day of August 1, 2024
- José Luis Doctor was disqualified from the 20 km walk
- Noel Chama finished in 13th place and Ricardo Ortiz in 14th in the 20 km walk event
- Alegna González finished fifth, Alejandra Ortega 24th and Ilse Guerrero 39th in the 20 km walk event
- Alejandra Valencia and Matías Grande qualified for the round of 16 of individual archery
- Angela Ruiz was eliminated in the round of 32 of individual archery
- Gabriel Castaño qualified for the 50m freestyle swimming semifinal
- The equestrian team qualified for the final
With information from EFE and AP.
