‘As an athlete we shouldn’t have to go out and ask for support’: Gaby Agúndez

The Olympic cycle towards Paris 2024 began for many Mexican athletes, but the road has not been easy, given the lack of support for water sports. This is stated by the medalist in Tokyo 2020 Gabriela Agúndez, who became one of those affected in this new cycle, for which she had to raise her voice and ask for support to attend the first filter, at the World Cup in Fukuoka, Japan. .

Now, after triumphing in this first competition, Agúndez hopes that this type of performance will allow her to reach more supporters and continue dreaming of becoming an Olympic multi-medalist.

— Happy to be competing, with the results achieved in Fukuoka, with a fourth place in synchronized and individual, in addition to the silver medal in mixed teams, it is the return to international competitions and I am happy to be on those stages and to knowing that Mexico is a power, that there is a high level in this discipline to be able to fight in the medal tables.

— I felt very happy to be in Fukuoka. We had difficult, complicated moments, where we not only dedicated ourselves to training, but also raising our voices, asking for support and seeing what we were going to do to prepare for the World Cup and on the way to the Olympic Games, then having arrived in Fukuoka It was an achievement and now with the results, it gives us joy and a lot of learning for the following competitions in the Olympic cycle. With Ale Orozco we will look for the synchronized place, since we have both tickets on the women’s individual platform, which motivates us to continue giving results for Mexico

— It would be my second Olympic Games and I think I would have to experience them like the first, since there was no public in Tokyo, we couldn’t leave the Olympic Village and everything was very strict, for our good. Now my dream is to be in Paris, surrounded by the public and everything that surrounds a fair like this.

— The criteria for the places have not yet been defined. The tickets that were won are for the country, and we have to work to be able to stay with them and attend. In the end we only have to dedicate ourselves to training, in case those places already have a name, or if I have to compete for them in a national filter. The important thing is that this National Team arrives as strong as possible in search of the medals and we hope that the criteria will come out soon so that we can focus our work and training.

– Fairly good. Our relationship, our coexistence, our day to day is very pleasant. I live with her more than with anyone else. From Tokyo we are looking for a way to connect and make that dumbbell to win the medal. Now, we are talking about our goals, and we trust each other to look for a new medal.

— It has been difficult, tiring. As an athlete, it should not be up to you to be looking for support to go to your competitions, for training. I am from Baja California Sur, but I train in Guadalajara and I live day by day where you pay the rent, you have to go to the supermarket, the gasoline and sometimes it is exhausting to know if you are going to have to compete, which is why I was moved that situation. In these months, we seek the space to request support. Let’s hope that more people join in the rest of the process and we remain open to that option of giving conferences, of giving talks, that they see us as an athlete’s day-to-day is like, these are some of the ideas that we are looking for so that our path Paris looks calmer

— We all want to get to the Olympic Games and everyone is looking for a way. I’m glad we didn’t give up, we didn’t take our finger off the line of moving forward and now we’re looking for more peace of mind to be able to go compete.

— It is exhausting, and takes time, space in our mind. It causes stress, and you have to know how to handle it, so that it doesn’t affect us, but know how to separate it when competing, but it is a significant wear.

– I hope not. We are going through very difficult times, but we are making the best of Mexico in our competitions, and in the end that is the message, that despite the fact that the road is difficult, the objectives can be achieved, thinking and transmitting the positive

— We have a selective filter in Mexico. We must wait for the criteria, but the World Cup served as a reference and to adjust details, so that we could shine at the Pan American Games later.