• Opinion Queralt Castellet, silver of the best law 50 years after Paquito's gold

The phone burns him.

Too many calls on WhatsApp.

He is in that position between silencing the mobile or taking advantage of his media rush.

Opt for the latter.

Because he has achieved something historic by entering the short list of the five Spaniards who can boast of having won a medal at the Winter Olympics.

And although he receives a call just at the moment when he is going to collect his halfpipe snowboard silver medal,

Queralt Castellet

(Sabadell, 1989) picks up the phone.

QUESTION.

Well, they have made you wait to give you the medal, more than eight hours after you got off the table.

ANSWER.

Here it is now at 8:00 p.m. (Beijing time) and they do a small ceremony where all the snowboard athletes go up to collect our medals.

It's been a crazy day

.

I am overwhelmed with so many calls and messages.

But I am enjoying it very much.

Q.

The fifth time was the charm.

A.

Yes.

Five Olympic Games and a lot of sweat has cost me to take the medal.

I still can not believe it.

And look, in the first round the score they gave me was very low.

I did not agree,

I got angry

and in the second round I got it all (two and a half turns in the air, plus another on my back, deserved a score of 90.25).

I was able to do something very powerful and with a lot of variety.

Ever since I woke up, I have concentrated on remembering all the moments, both good and bad, that have brought me here.

All my energy was put into that second round.

Q.

How did you prepare to win a medal at the Olympic Games?

R.

Giving everything.

Many hours in the snow to pick up a good pace and get to the big event in the best possible way.

I have always tried to get the best results, and in the last two years, with the pandemic, it has not been easy with so many events and competitions cancelled.

But that has helped me learn and enjoy more every minute I dedicate to this sport.

Now I can say that at 32 years old

I am doing the best snowboarding of my life

.

P.

The last Spanish woman who won a medal in a Winter Olympics was

Blanca Fernández Ochoa

just 30 years ago.

R.

Those details are very gratifying to hear.

These are things that help me and motivate me to continue and give everything.

Q.

Is Queralt left for a while?

R. I will continue to the fullest

.

I see my future the same as my present: clear and with a lot of energy.

Q.

You came across several stones on the way to come to Beijing.

R.

Well, I almost missed the flight from the United States because I still had to do a fourth PCR.

It has been quite a mission.

My coach tested positive for Covid before taking the plane and my physiotherapist stayed home due to personal problems.

I arrived alone

, although here I cannot complain because I have been very well accompanied by the people of the Federation, the COE and my colleagues.

It has been an amazing experience.

I come out of these Games with a new phrase that is very important in my life:

nothing that is good comes easy.

P.

You have been on the podium in all the tests you have contested this season.

She has now become the first Spanish athlete to achieve an Olympic sub-championship in the snow.

She has earned a good break.

R.

On Saturday I take a direct flight to Orlando, where I have all my things, and then I go to Sabadell with the family.

I'm tired, many emotions together all these days.

But I still have a lot of war to give

.

Q.

Will you not miss the Beijing bubble?

R.

The truth is that

they have organized everything very well

, in a way that it seems that we were not under surveillance all day, with so many controls and tests.

In the Olympic Village there is a very good atmosphere, although due to the measures we did not have much contact with other athletes.

It was all very strange, but also fun.

I had even gotten used to seeing those astronauts (Chinese workers dressed in PPE suits) chasing you all day with the swab to do a PCR.

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Know more

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