Spanish heptathlete María Vicente has relocated from San Sebastián to Loughborough in Leicestershire, England, following her recovery from a 2024 Achilles tendon rupture, with her sights set on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Move to Loughborough and the Search for a Training Group
Vicente explained that the primary motivation behind her move to England was finding a dedicated training group. After spending two weeks training at her new base, she noted an immediate difference in her daily sessions. When running 200-meter repetitions, the presence of fellow athletes pushed her past her previous solo training limits. Her new coach in the United Kingdom is Ashley Bryant, following a six-year period working with Ramón Cid in Spain.
Leaving Spain for Enhanced Facilities and Infrastructure
While acknowledging that Spanish facilities offered a velodrome and indoor tracks during winter, she sought a northern European training base with consistent year-round infrastructure and a specialized combined-events environment where she already recognized several athletes.
Driving Across the Channel and Setting Up Life in England
Rather than flying, Vicente drove her own car to England to transport her belongings and maintain travel freedom, adapting quickly to driving on the left side of the road using GPS navigation. She has rented a room in a shared apartment with a swimmer in Loughborough, valuing the autonomy to manage her own schedule and meal times compared to rigid residential facilities.
Vicente Seeks Mental Closure After Achilles Injury
Reflecting on her recovery from the Achilles injury sustained on March 1, 2024, at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Vicente shared advice from her psychologist regarding mental closure. “María, you have to close things properly and finish,” she recalled her psychologist saying, noting that unresolved problems simply travel with you.
Targets for the European Indoor Championships and Beyond
Looking ahead to the upcoming competition calendar, Vicente has targeted the World Athletics Championships in China alongside the long-term goal of the Los Angeles Olympics. Missing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to her Achilles injury remains a central reference point in her current athletic cycle.
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