Swimmer Luana Alonso’s tears after saying her retirement from swimming on the age of 20 within the midst of the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games

Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso’s emotional announcement on the Olympic GamesFollow all of the details about the Olympic Video games and the outcomes right here

The official exercise of the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games started this Saturday and already had considered one of its most emotional moments with the Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso because the protagonist. After ending sixth in Warmth 1 of the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:03:09 that didn’t enable her to qualify for the semifinals of the specialty, the 20-year-old athlete made a tearful announcement that stunned.

“The reality is that it did not go the way in which I needed, sadly, however I am very emotional as a result of it was my final race and I am retiring from swimming,” she instructed Claro Sports activities cameras after showing on the Paris La Défense Enviornment.

The athlete from Asunción, who had additionally participated in Tokyo 2020 the place she achieved a time of 1:00.37 in the identical self-discipline, defined the motivations behind her resolution: “I’m going to go to review in the US, I’m going to proceed my profession in political science and why not be Minister of Sports activities someday, as a result of as an athlete I do know what athletes undergo and I need to assist them promote sport. Combat in your desires, it doesn’t matter what occurs, all the time stay agency in your beliefs. Go Paraguay.”

“It was my final race and I am retiring from swimming,” Alonso introduced.

Visibly emotional, she stated: “I’ve been swimming for thus lengthy, it was 18 years. I’ve so many emotions, however sadly I made the choice to cease. I’m completely happy that my final race will likely be right here on the Olympic Video games. Perhaps it didn’t go as I needed, I apologize to Paraguay, from the underside of my coronary heart. However I did what I may regardless of a number of issues that occurred to me earlier than. So I’m completely happy, and in addition to retire right here with a full stadium and at last have an Olympic Video games.”

The proficient 20-year-old athlete is likely one of the 28 athletes (6 girls and 22 males) representing Paraguay in Paris 2024, in a delegation that included rower Alejandra Alonso and golfer Fabrizio Zanotti as standard-bearers. On her official Instagram account, with greater than 274 thousand followers, the swimmer additionally introduced her resolution: “It is official! I am retiring from swimming, thanks all very a lot for the assist! Sorry Paraguay, I can solely thanks!” On her X profile, on the identical time, she clarified: “Individuals, I made my resolution a very long time in the past! It wasn’t due to the video games! So, nothing, I can solely thank everybody who all the time supported me.”

The perfect time within the girls’s 100-meter butterfly within the qualifying rounds was for China’s Yufei Zhang with a time of 56.50, which allowed her to beat Japan’s Mizuki Hirai (56.71) and the Individuals Torri Huske (56.72) and Gretchen Walsh (56.75). Alonso was ranked twenty ninth greatest forward of Nicaraguan Maria Victoria Schutzmeier (1:03.18) and Hayley Hoy (1:03.36). The medal closing for this self-discipline will likely be held on Sunday, July 28 at 3:40 p.m. (Argentine time).

Alonso represented his nation at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024