Argentina’s Paula Pareto celebrates on the podium obtaining the gold medal in the -48kg women’s judo at the Rio de Janeiro-2016 Olympic Games on August 6, 2016 / External Source.
Buenos Aires (AFP) .- Argentina’s hopes of medals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are pinned on judoka Paula Pareto, Las Leonas del hockey, the U23 soccer team, the new generation of basketball and sailors, without ruling out surprises in other disciplines.
Its historical harvest of 74 medals, 21 of them gold, places it far from the powers, although it stands out at the Latin American level.
He spent 48 years without winning a gold piece, from Helsinki-1952 (rowing) to Athens-2004 (soccer and basketball), although his best job since then was in Rio de Janeiro-2016 (judo, hockey and sailing).
The little giant of Argentine judo, Paula Pareto, will try to say goodbye to the Olympic world with another gold around her neck, like the one she wore in Rio-2016.
At the age of 35, the 1.48m-tall Peque announced that he would retire after Tokyo: “The idea is to defend gold. I am not at the same level as Rio, although in home training I have improved
Pareto was world champion in 2015, bronze in Beijing-2008 and diploma for fifth place in London-2012. In the Rio games she became the first Argentine woman to climb to the top of the podium.
Soccer, the Argentine sports passion par excellence, always aspires to the maximum. «We have the dream of reaching the top. First to be in the medal table, then to win the gold medal ”, declared Fernando ‘Bocha’ Batista, coach of the U-23 team with three reinforcements of legal age.
In the attack lies the greatest power with Ezequiel Barco (Atlanta United, USA) and Adolfo Gaich (Benevento, Italy).
– Heart of Lionesses –
Another classic from the last 20 years is betting a few chips on the women’s field hockey team, the legendary Leonas. They could never conquer the gold, but twice they took the silver one and twice the bronze one.
The so elusive gold medal was the award for the feat of the hockey knights in Rio-2016, Belgium winners 4-2 in the final.
“These boys and girls are committed and immersed in the Olympic journey, despite what we are experiencing with the pandemic,” said the director of national teams of the Argentine Hockey Confederation, Carlos ‘Chapa’ Retegui.
The retirement of the legendary Golden Generation from basketball, gold in Athens-2004 and world runner-up in Indianapolis-2002, has given way to what could be called the Silver Generation.
When it seemed like a utopia to have a competitive team at the level of the one led by Manu Ginobili, the heirs appeared. They conquered the silver of runners-up in the 2019 World Cup in China.
The new emblem is Facundo ‘Mago’ Campazzo, NBA player in Denver Nuggets. He is accompanied by forward Gabriel Deck (Oklahoma City Thunder), and point guards Nicolás Laprovittola (Real Madrid, Spain) and Luca Vildoza (New York Knicks).
The last ‘Mohican’ of the Golden Generation, the pivot Luis Scola (Pallacanestro Varese, Italy), supports the team with the blank of his 41 years.
“Individually there is no doubt that we arrived better than China, two years ago,” said coach Sergio ‘Oveja’ Hernández.
– Like fish in the water –
Other alternatives of medals beat in the pools, with the swimmers Delfina Pignatiello (400 m, 800 m and 1,500 m free), Santiago Grassi (100 m butterfly) and Julia Sebastián (100 m and 200 m breaststroke).
“There was a moment when I didn’t want to know anything, I was super denied. But then I thought I wanted to be. I am very good mentally, but the reality is that there were rivals who did not stop, “said Pignatiello.
For the regattas, the flag bearers of the delegation stand out. They are the veteran Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli, in the Nacra 17 sailing category, gold winners in Rio-2016.
“We will have to adapt to the weather and time changes in Japan, with just eight days of sailing until the start of the competition,” said Lange. Facundo Olezza in the Finn class also inspires confidence.
In rugby, the Seven de los Pumas will arrive with a good rhythm of competition, but without having faced the powers for the suspension of the world circuit.
“We are aware of the area that touched us, extremely complicated. New Zealand and Australia are always the favorites, ”said coach Santiago Gómez Cora.
It is possible for Argentina to also believe in its best tennis player: Diego Schwartzman. The Peque will start within the eight best classified.
If a surprise comes out of the gallery, it could be in boxing, the sport that added the most for Argentina in Olympic history: 24 medals.
Via: metrolibre.com
