At the end of the summer of 2019, the Spanish under-18 team hung the European 3×3. That gold had a very Girona taste. The team led the historic Anna Junyer. And in the staff were the Banyoles winger Júlia Soler (today already in the first team of the Spar Girona), and the pivot of Roses Laia moya, one of the highlights of the GEiEG Uni in League 2. That same year which was the basis of the Uni, Núria Martínez, already retired, she competed in the World Cup and the absolute European Championship (where she won the silver), with the coach from Figueres. June remains in office. And now the challenge is Olympic. Two years after those successes, Spain dreams of reaching the Games, however, to do so, you must overcome the Pre-Olympic Games (Austria), which started yesterday and ends on Sunday. There are only three tickets available.
Girona continues to play a leading role in the selection. Anna Junyer, a former player from La Casera, Picadero, Tortosa, El Masnou and Dorna Godella from Figueres, remains the coach. And under his command is the Girona pivot Georgina Bahí, that next season will change the Cadí for the Ensino Lugo. Helena Oma, ex-Uni and now in the Galician team, is part of the expedition that has traveled to Austria to help strengthen training. Sandra Ygueravide, Marta Canella, Vega Gimeno, Aitana Cuevas and Paula Palomares are, in addition to Georgina Bahí, the players registered for the championship, two of whom are left out in each match. Yesterday it was the turn of Girona, who did not play either of the two inaugural duels.
Spain has been integrated into Group D of the pre-Olympic, with Italy, China Taipei, Switzerland and Austria. The first two from each group will advance to the quarterfinals (Sunday morning) and the two finalists, plus the winner of the match for third place, will be Olympic. At the moment things started half well. In the first game they beat Italy (20-21) with an agonizing basket from Aitana Cuevas, and in the second, Spain fell to Switzerland (16-14), paying dearly for a bad start (7-0). The team rests today and tomorrow will face China Taipei and Austria. without much room for error to get the ticket for quarters.
The matches are hectic. They last 10 minutes, with 12-second possessions, and the baskets are worth one point (or two if they are triple). It is played halfway, with a single basket. Teams have four players, three on the court and one to make changes. There is no truce, and if someone reaches 21 before regulation time, they win. This is where the Olympic dream of Bahí and Junyer comes from, who from Austria want to get to Tokyo and enjoy the Olympic premiere of this sport.
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