Silver in judo

Prisca Guadalupe Awiti Alcaraz was taught by Mexico that to live you need to have fire in your heart. Unlike her birthplace, London, where everyone is a numberHere, in the land of her mother, Lola Alcaraz, things are done out of a deep desire to improve. Yesterday, the athlete made history by becoming Olympic judo runner-up in Paris 2024 as a tricolor representative.

After eight years of waiting without obtaining a silver medal for our country, Prisca awarded a second place medal to the national delegation, which had not been obtained since Rio 2016, with the race walker Guadalupe González. It is the first that Mexico has won in judo and the second in Paris with the bronze of the archers Alejandra Valencia, Ana Paula Vázquez and Ángela Ruiz.

Awiti was born and raised in London, UK, but her mother is from Guanajuato and her father from Kenya. The possibility of winning a place to represent the English team was very small, given the number of high-level judokas who aspired to the same thing. When she was going through this dilemma and the reality of being excluded, she was recommended to opt for her mother’s country, with which she always had very strong emotional ties. She did not hesitate; for her, representing Mexico was an almost natural decision. She has been in this country since 2017. The name Prisca is in recognition of her paternal grandmother and Guadalupe, for the Mexican.

Judokas celebrate at the Angel of Independence

This medal is definitely from Mexico. Even if they tell me otherwise, it is from Mexico.he said in an interview with Claro Sports. There was no longer any doubt about that, as hours later in Mexico City a group of judokas celebrated at the Angel of Independence.

Mexico is everything to me. It is a country where women are strong and have a lot of talent. I don’t think this will be the last medal we win at these Games.added Prisca, who fell for ippon in the 63 kilogram final against Slovenian Andrea Leski.

The Olympic runner-up was trained at the University of Bath, one of the 150 best in the world; however, her most outstanding results were obtained during her time as a tricolor. The judoka is an exemplary disciple of the Cuban school in Mexico headed by her coach Jorge Luis Atencio and Daima Beltrán, former instructor of Vanessa Zambotti.

In Mexico I found joy, because they fight with their hearts and for the country. It’s something I love, the passion that athletes put into fights, training and everything else.shared the medalist, who was eliminated in the first round at Tokyo 2020.

Awiti fell in the gold medal final against Slovenian Andrea Leski. Photo @COM_Mexico

My life is going to change and so is the reality of judo. It is a team achievement, of my teammates, coaches and family. Without them nothing would have been possible.said the selected player after the final.

She thanked her family for this victory, which she attributes to her multicultural roots. However, she did not celebrate with them in person. Her father, a psychiatrist by profession, stayed in London to work in a specialist centre where he was incommunicado. The news that his daughter had won a silver medal for Mexico was given to him by his colleagues when he finished his shift.

Lola Alcaraz, Prisca’s mother, and her four children watched the final on a restaurant screen. They managed to communicate briefly by video call to congratulate her in a quick mix of Mexican Spanish and English with a British accent. The family did not have tickets for the title fight; at the last minute, only two of the judoka’s brothers managed to get in through the Mexican Olympic Committee.

I love Mexico because of my mother. My parents never pressured me, I am very lucky for the family I had.he told Claro Sports; My parents met in London, they were in touch by mail and met again later. That is the story they tell..

Awiti joins the illustrious contingent of women who have won silver at the Olympic Games. She joins Pilar Roldán (fencing), Ana Guevara (athletics), Belem Guerrero (cycling), Aída Román (archery), Paola Espinosa-Alejandra Orozco (diving) and María Espinoza (taekwondo).

Swimmer Miguel de Lara competed in the semi-final of the 200-meter breaststroke event after the disqualification of Dutchman Arno Kamminga; he came in last place with a time of 2:11.28 minutes. It was the first time since Athens 2004 that a Mexican participated in this event.

Jorge Iga was eliminated in the 100-meter freestyle after recording a time of 49.28 seconds, which placed him in seventh place in his qualifying series. In rowing, Kenia Lechuga will be in the semifinals today without the possibility of medals, having finished in fifth place in her heat with a time of 7:50.35, while Luis Garrido, from badminton, fell in his second match and said goodbye to Paris.