Tokyo Olympics: Maialen Chourraut says “This medal is a dream”

Lasarte-Oria canoeist Maialen Chourraut, a new silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, was happy this Tuesday for her new medal, ensuring that it ends “with a very sweet taste in the mouth.” “I have been waiting a long time for this July 27, Tokyo has ended with a very sweet taste in my mouth and with this medal that is a dream,” said Chourraut in a telematic press conference after his second place in the slalom event K1 individual canoeing.

“I have fulfilled my goal of sailing fast,” added the 38-year-old canoeist from Gipuzkoa, who had already been bronze in London-2012 and gold in Rio-2016. «I clung to hopes. There were girls faster than me, especially Jessica Fox (bronze) and Ricarda Funk (gold), they are two girls who in this Olympic cycle have been ahead of everyone, but that did not mean that today they had to be in front “, said Chourraut .

“We have stuck to it, to do the best possible competition, to look for my solid navigation, my robustness when it comes to sailing,” said the canoeist, adding that “I have played with my experience.” “We knew that it was a difficult competition, that it was not among the three favorites and that it would have to be fought,” added the brand new silver medalist.

“In principle, all of us who start can win the medal. This season I had been in all the finals in which I have participated, but I had not yet managed to play a metal and it was today ”, explained the Gipuzkoan canoeist. Married to who is also her coach, Chourraut showed her desire to return home to see her eight-year-old daughter Ane, who has not been able to accompany her in Tokyo.

“Being so many kilometers from our daughter has been hard,” confessed Chourraut, who after her three Olympic medals, prefers to remain cautious in the face of a new experience in Paris-2024. Now I have to rest. I am already 38 years old and now what I see is that I need a month or two rest and then things will be channeled, “he concluded.