Jesús Vallejo, Teresa Perales and Sergio Ibáñez wrote their names in silver letters this summer at the Tokyo Olympics. Exponents of regional sport, they won three top-level medals, which confirm them as absolute benchmarks in the elite of international sport: the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Vallejo, in fact, became the ninth Aragonese Olympic medalist. The Zaragoza native made history by obtaining the silver medal in the men’s soccer category. The final, played against the legendary Brazilian team, ended with a 2-1 score. Thus, the Spanish team, led by Luis de la Fuente, rose to second place in the Tokyo 2020 Games drawer.
The surname Vallejo was thus joined to that of the other eight Aragonese who had previously obtained metal in an Olympiad. The last had been the water polo player Andrea Blas, who won the silver medal at the London 2012 Games. The first, José María Esteban Celorrio, silver in the Spanish K-4 in Montreal 1976. Along with Vallejo, four other Aragonese competed this summer at the Tokyo Games: Begoña García was eliminated with the women’s hockey team in the quarterfinals; The athlete Carlos Mayo obtained a meritorious thirteenth position in the 10,000 test and could not compete in 5,000 due to injury; Pablo Abián from Bilbao said goodbye to Tokyo with honor in the discipline of badminton when he lost to Long Chen, who ultimately won the silver medal, and Cristina Ouviña lost in the quarterfinals against powerful France, touching the medals in basketball .
Total, the Spanish representation won 17 medals –the same as in Rio 2016 and only one less than those obtained in London 2012–, but it only added three golds, the worst figure since the sport was transformed in Spain coinciding with the Barcelona Games. Only three Olympic champions, far from the thirteen of the 1992 event and the seven that were five years ago in Rio. Figures that could have increased had they not suffered the unexpected casualties of Carolina Marín or Rafa Nadal before traveling to the Olympic event, or those of Jon Rahm and Orlando Ortega already about to begin their participation in Tokyo. Alberto Ginés shone with their own light, in climbing, Gálvez and Fernández, in Olympic shooting and Teresa Portela, in canoeing.
Weeks later and also marked by covid-19, Tokyo hosted the Paralympic Games, where Teresa Perales shone with her own light. The Aragonese appeared at the event very far from her best version, diminished by a left shoulder injury suffered in May in Portugal, during her participation in the European Championships, which considerably conditioned her preparation for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Despite all the setbacks, the Aragonese competed in four tests, with a balance of a silver medal (50 meters backstroke) and three diplomas (100 freestyle, 4×50 mixed relay and 4×100 mixed). Health problems kept her hospitalized for several days in Tokyo, first, and in Madrid, later. Once recovered, she received the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in October, a recognition of her legendary career.
In addition to Teresa Perales, there were three other Aragonese representatives at the Japanese event: Sergio Ibáñez, in judo; María Delgado, in swimming; and Eduardo Santas, cycling. Ibáñez took the silver medal, in the -66 kg category, after completing an outstanding performance that deserved an even greater reward. The Aragonese, in fact, was also superior to his adversary in the final, in the final fight, which was resolved in the golden point. However, a controversial decision by the judges deprived Zaragoza of the victory, which went to the Uzbek Uchkun Kuranbaev.
For his part, Delgado ended his participation in Tokyo with three Paralympic diplomas (fourth in 100 backstroke, fifth in 100 freestyle and sixth in 400 freestyle); while the cyclist Eduardo Santas did it with two diplomas, having been fourth on the track, in the individual pursuit event, and fifth in road cycling, in the time trial.
Successes beyond the Games
In addition to the Olympic Games, Aragonese athletes have shone with their own light in many national and international championships and tournaments. And in multiple disciplines. Carlos Mayo was the Spanish 5,000-meter and cross-country champion, an absolute success that was followed by many of the new generations of athletes. Pol Oriach, David Cartiel, Sergio del Barrio, Daniel Osanz, Eduardo Menacho, Mireya Arnedillo, Natalia Sainz, Laura Pintiel, Inés Arqued … all of them stood out in a year that has also been marked by the injury of the promising Salma Paralluelo. The future of Aragonese athletics is bright.
In addition, María Eizaguerri won the National Under-18 chess. Esther Briz was a rowing world champion in different modalities. Climber María Laborda expanded her promising record in the European Speed Cup. Raquel Roy was silver in the team kata world championship. Babacar Seck continued to collect high-altitude competitions. The skier Celia Abad was the Spanish supergiant champion. Inés Bergua dazzled at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup. CH Jaca won the Copa del Rey and Alberto Puyuelo was silver in the Spanish marathon championship. Great successes that confirm the good health of Aragonese athletes.
Gasol’s goodbye, Pogacar’s yellow and Conchita’s lessons
The year that is ending also left the goodbye of –perhaps– the best Spanish athlete of all time: Pau Gasol. The Catalan put an end in October to more than two decades of career that made basketball great. An iconic figure with a capital transcendence and full of successes and titles that ended after his participation in the Games, his fifth Olympic event. Valentino Rossi also said goodbye, icon and legend of motorcycling, winner of nine world titles and a reference for the new generations.
New generations led by Tadej Pogacar in cycling. The 22-year-old Slovenian opened a golden page in Tour de France history by claiming his second consecutive title in Paris, an achievement that at his age legends such as Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault were unable to achieve. A youth who does not weigh the yellow jersey. With the garment and character of the leader, he won the two mountain stages in the Pyrenees, also winning the mountain and youth classification. Neither could Merckx and Hinault achieve such a thing.
Another young man –24 years old– with a bright future is Max Verstappen, who won the Formula 1 World Championship in a season marked by his spectacular head-to-head with Lewis Hamilton and by the return to the circuit of Fernando Alonso. Enrolled in the Dutch CRG team, Verstappen raced in Zuera in 2011 (June 21-24) in the CIK FIA KF3 European Championship (he finished 14th) and the WSK Euroseries KF3 junior (5th), competition in which he would win the title for the second year in a row.
In tennis, in a year marked by the triumphs of Novak Djokovic –already tied at 20 greats with Nadal and Federer– and the death of the eternal Manolo Santana, the resurgence of Garbiñe Muguruza has also stood out. In November, she won the title of Master by winning the WTA Finals. From the hand of the Aragonese Conchita Martínez, Garbiñe has returned to his best competitive version, also raising the prestigious trophies of Dubai or Chicago.
Also in 2021 he consecrated another icon of Spanish sport: Jon Rahm. The Basque closed the year as number one in the world and with the US Open trophy on the showcase. Only the covid prevented him from expanding his record in Tokyo.
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