Javier Sánchez Sant Cugat

Sant Cugat

Updated Thursday, March 28, 2024-21:42

  • Tokyo 2020 Orlando Ortega is injured and Spain loses a medal opportunity

Before even starting to record,

Orlando Ortega

explains his childhood in Havana with his mother, dedicated to taekwondo and his subsequent love for athletics that took him to Artemisa, a small town in Cuba, to train with his father. Orlando Ortega, now, speaks. About the injuries that have kept him away from the slopes since the Tokyo 2020 Games, about his marriage to the singer

Aina Maro

and the recent birth of his daughter, about his new life at the Sant Cugat High Performance Center (CAR). .. Orlando Ortega speaks and it is strange. When he arrived in Spain in 2013, each interview was a hurdle to jump, but not anymore. The Olympic runner-up at the 2016 Rio Games now enjoys the talk.

He looks different in front of the recorder. You learn from everything. When I arrived in Spain there were some things, media pressure [Spanish hurdlers published a letter against their nationalization] and after the Rio Games there was a

boom

, many requests for a coup from the media. I wasn't used to it, it was difficult for me. Now I take it differently. I'm calmer. Life is about learning. We haven't heard much from you since Tokyo. They have been two complicated years. There have been moments of frustration, of insecurity, of a lot of pain with the injuries. Many things come to mind, it affects you in your personal life. Sometimes I didn't feel like getting out of bed. But thanks to God and the work with my psychologist,

Toñi Martos

, I have moved forward. Now I understand that I am a human being, I am not a robot and that it is normal for insecurity to invade you and create confusion. Now I know how to transform those thoughts into motivation. And how are you feeling physically? Very good, very happy. Since the operation [he had hamstring surgery last summer] I have been working very well, better than ever. I have my sights set on the Paris Games. I want to continue recovering, continue gaining confidence in training and continue enjoying this sport. Can you imagine yourself on the Olympic podium? Being in Paris would be an achievement, I have to be realistic. I have always been very ambitious, I want another Olympic medal, but telling you that I am going to win would be lying to you. I have a lot of faith in qualifying. And if I achieve it I will go to live it, to enjoy it, to try it. You know what hurdles are like: there are bad starts, there are stumbles and, suddenly, you can have a chance. But the goal is to be there.

PEDRO SALADOARABA


His worst years on a sporting level have coincided with his best years on a personal level. Completely, yes, yes. They were two sides of the coin. At home he was very happy, but he couldn't train. Now, luckily, everything is going in the same direction, thank God I have everything. I met my wife, we moved to Santa Perpetua, here near the CAR, I had my daughter... She returned from Cyprus, where she had settled after the Rio Games. I wanted to be close to my wife and her family and here I found a home, which I needed for years. I spoke with the federation to train at the CAR, they granted me a scholarship and I am delighted, I have magnificent conditions to train. A few weeks ago the Jamaican

Hansle Parchment

, the current Olympic champion, visited him here. We have a good relationship, yes. He is my lifelong rival, we have been competing together for almost 15 years. He, I and

Pascal Martinot-Lagarde

are over 30 years old and we are still there. I would love to play a Diamond League event against them again and of course meet in the final of the Olympic Games. There are very good young people, like

Grant Holloway

or

Trey Cunningham

, but we remain veterans. What do you think of the rise of

Asier Martínez

or

Quique Llopis

? They are very good hurdlers and I hope hurdles continue to grow in Spain. When I'm gone I hope there will be Spaniards competing with the Americans or the Jamaicans. "When I'm gone." Will it be after the Paris Games? Athletics is my passion and I don't see myself sitting at home thinking that's it, that I'm not going to compete anymore. I will try until my body tells me it can't take it anymore. There will come a day when I have to retire, but I don't see it close. Furthermore, now I have found stability, I have organized my life, and I think I can enjoy myself from now on.