The festival of Paris 2024 Olympic Games begins to approach with leaps and bounds its start on Friday, June 26 and will extend until Sunday, August 11, where brilliant national representatives They will seek to leave an indelible mark on the global competition of the 5 rings.
One of the 24 representatives of the Team Chile who sealed her tickets and is already beginning to prepare in the best way for her arrival on French soil is the excellent tennis player Paulina Vegawho comes from shining in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games by getting 3 bronze medals.
The young woman from San Pedro de La Paz signed his arrival to Olympics after winning the gold medal in the Table tennis pre-Olympic in Lima Peru.
The Chilean tennis player It will be one of the cards to strike Paris 2024after his previous experiences in Athens 2004 and Tokyo 2020.
An arrival to a new edition that generates expectation in Pauline and this was stated in conversation with BioBioChilewhere he commented on his happiness at installing his name in a new sports festival such as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
-How does it feel to know that you are going to participate in the Olympic Games for the third time?
I feel very happy to be able to reach my third Olympic Games, I am just processing a little everything that happened these days.
I am very tired now, I come from a tournament in Rio de Janeiro and I hope to continue with the circuit tournaments, but I have tremendous satisfaction knowing that I am already part of Paris 2024.
On the other hand, Paulina arrives with a great emotional boost, after winning gold in Peru within the framework of the Pre-Olympic, but also the 3 bronze medals she won in Santiago 2023 (one in mixed doubles with Nicolás Burgos, another in women’s doubles along with Daniela Ortega and the third in the female series together with Ortega herself and Tania Zeng).
In relation to this, he stressed that nothing has been said, despite his previous deeds.
-Considering that you are a Pan-American medalist. What are the expectations for Paris 2024?
The truth is that it will always be difficult in singles in table tennis.
I did manage to pass the first round last year, so I hope to equal or improve my previous mark and advance to the second round.
This is the best there is in the world, so I would be lying if I say that I am going to enter an Olympic final, since it is a very very high level, but I hope to surprise and advance to the round again.
-Do you consider that you arrive at the Games in better technical and physical condition than in the previous two editions?
Clearly, compared to the Athens edition where I was a girl, I did much better, but I feel like I reached the same level as I did in Tokyo.
When I went to Japan, I prepared a lot and arrived at a high level, therefore, I hope to arrive in the same conditions or even better. Of course, I know there will be a high level and I hope I get a good draw.
-How and where will the preparation for the Olympic Games be?
The preparation will be to play a couple more tournaments. Now I am in Brazil training and then I arrive in Chile for a day and head to Mendoza.
Then I return to Chile for a week and then I go to the South American tournament that will be held in Paraguay in June.
After that I return to Chile for 12 days and then I go home to train in Mirandela, Portugal.
On the other hand, it is important to remember that Paulina Vega was Chile’s flag bearer on the closing day of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games along with Martín Vidaurre, something that excites her to fulfill that role again at the start of Paris 2024.
-Would you like to be the flag bearer of the Chilean delegation in the Olympic Games?
Of course I would like to be the flag bearer of Chile. I think it is one of the dreams of each of us as athletes.
I was lucky enough and you can’t imagine how much I enjoyed being the flag bearer at the closing of the Pan American Games. It was something that I didn’t expect, but it will always be an illusion and since it is the Olympic Games, I think it would be fulfilling a dream and the most beautiful thing being an athlete.
-What message could you leave for athletes who are just starting out in their respective disciplines? What is the secret of sporting success?
I think the secret (not so secret) is based on perseverance, learning from defeat, having that capacity for resilience and overcoming every adverse moment that athletes face.
Learning where it hurts the most and having the desire to go higher and higher will always be important.
I believe that if someone wants to achieve their dreams and goals, they will always be achieved as long as they have the desire and can move forward and fight for each of their dreams.
