Alejandra Valencia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (AFP via Getty Images)
Alejandra Valencia continues to make history for Mexican archery, a sport that is experiencing a total boom: it has become a guarantee of success for Mexico. The native of Hermosillo, Sonora, she has won three gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023. One was at the individual level in the recurve bow event. There she beat the Colombian Ana María Rendón 7-1 in the final. The joy was greater for the Mexican team because they also took the bronze from Ángela Ruiz, who beat her compatriot Aída Román in the duel for the bronze —previously, on Monday, Valencia, Román and Ruiz won the gold medal by equipment-.
Before winning today’s individual medal, Valencia had won another one this same day, a gold in mixed teams with Matías Grande. The Mexican duo defeated Daniela Jaramillo and Daniel Vásquez, representatives of Venezuela. This is how the day turned out to be perfect for Valencia, which once again confirms its status as a top-level competitor. In Tokyo 2021, the Sonoran took the podium in the mixed team event with Luis Grandfather Álvarez (they beat Turkey in the bronze medal match). And Mexico doesn’t stop winning. The men’s team, composed of Caleb Urbina, Carlos Rojas and Matías Grande also won the team gold medal.
Alejandra already knew fully what it was like to win the gold medal in the Central American Championships. In Barranquilla 2018 she won all possible golds: individually, for the women’s team and for the mixed team.. Its history in the Pan American Games, the great continental competition, has also been fruitful. In his debut, Guadalajara 2011, he won two golds, in teams and individually. In Lima 2019 he took three medals, one of each color. These backgrounds made her a light of hope not only for Mexican archery, but for the entire national sport.
Continue reading the story
Already in Rio 2016 he had made it clear that he could compete against the most select in the world. In those Olympic Games she came in fourth place, in the individual event, after losing against the South Korean Ki Bo Bae, who took the bronze. In London 2012 he did not fight for the first places, but that was his first Olympic experience. It all came down to the historic bronze achieved at Tokyo 2021, as the culmination of some exciting days in charge of archery.
Gold Medal for Mexico!! ????????????
Alejandra Valencia???????? is crowned Central Caribbean champion by beating Ana María Rendón???????? 7-1 in the women’s individual recurve final.
In the same test, Angela Ruiz???????? took the bronze by beating Aida Román???????? in the duel for… pic.twitter.com/Xt1JY0A9Cz
— Mexican Olympism (@OlimpismoMex) July 6, 2023
Valencia, who studied Graphic Design, came to this sport certainly by chance. His sister was cycling and suffered a fall. When Alejandra went to seek medical help, she came across the area where archery was practiced and was captivated. “The youngest one was crying and the shooting coach came over with her first aid kit. And instead of seeing how they helped her sister, Alejandra stayed attentively watching the archery range,” recalled Elizabeth Trujillo, her mother, for Imparcial TV. “They had told me to do cycling, athletics or basketball because of my height, but I didn’t like any of that. And one day Miguel (the archery coach) invited me and I stayed there. At first I couldn’t even hit the bale, but I saw the older ones and I knew that one day I would make it,” Valencia confessed to ESPN.
Gold Medal for Mexico!! ????????????
The gold harvest begins in #TiroconArco
Angela Ruiz, Alejandra Valencia and Aida Román???????? had no problems beating their counterpart from Colombia 6-0???????? in the final of the women’s team competition. pic.twitter.com/6avqdjb6Lx
— Mexican Olympism (@OlimpismoMex) July 3, 2023
There was no turning back. Valencia is experiencing the best moment of his career. And Mexican archery has found a bonanza that points to the highest in Paris 2024. The trend has been not only one of growth, but of dominance. Two medals were won in London 2012. Bronze and silver by Mariana Avitia and Aída Román, respectively. In Rio there were no medals, but Valencia came close, and for Tokyo 2021 the bronze was achieved in mixed. The constant is that, growth. Furthermore, the generational change is already there with Ángela Ruiz, a 16-year-old archer who has just won two medals in the World Cup.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED | ON VIDEO
Motorist witnesses an assault and goes all out against the thief.
2023-07-06 07:00:00
#Alejandra #Valencia #Mexican #archery #luck #shines #golds
