Madrid, November 13 (Europa Press) –
His Majesty King Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz welcomed the Olympic and Paralympic athletes participating in the Paris 2024 Games at the El Pardo Royal Palace to congratulate them on their achievements in the French capital last summer.
“With the will to compete and enthusiasm, and show and convey the values that are important to everyone. As you know, in the face of victory and defeat. Thank you very much. It is a very difficult path, sometimes in the statements gathered on the social network of the royal family X at the reception ceremony, the royal Speech after speech, we want to recognize your persistence in knowing what the goal is and striving to achieve it.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presided over the event in the presence of Pilar Alegria, Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports. and Presidents of the Supreme Sports Council (CSD) José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes; From the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Alejandro Blanco; and the new Spanish Paralympic Committee (CPE) elected Alberto Duran.
More than a hundred Olympic and Paralympic athletes also participated, including Olympic medalists such as Maria Perez, who won gold in the medley relay and silver in the 20km walk; Alvaro Martin, gold in the mixed relay and bronze in the 20km walk; Francisco Garrigos, bronze in judo under 60 kg; Flagbearer Marcus Cooper and Carlos Arevalo won bronze in the K-4 500 sculls.
Meanwhile, Paralympic medalists Alba Garcia-Falagan (Bronze in Long Jump T11), Alberto Suarez (Bronze in Marathon T12), Nuria Marques (Silver in Swimming 100m Backstroke S9 and 200 Medley SM9 and Bronze in 4x100m Album) (Bronze in Swimming 100m Butterfly S13), Anastasia Dimitriev (gold in swimming 100 breaststroke SB8 and bronze in 200 medley SM9 and 4x100m mixed styles), Yassine Ouhdadi (gold in adaptive athletics 5000m PTS4) and Dani Molina (gold in adapted triathlon PTS3).
Badminton player Carolina Marin, whose torn anterior cruciate ligament and two menisci in her right knee have kept her out of medal contention, wanted to attend the El Pardo Royal Palace. The runner-up at Tokyo 2020 was Adriana Cerezo.
Memory for Dana
In his speech, the King wants to remember those affected by DANA and appreciates “the efforts of the sports world in general”. “It was a very strong blow. Many athletes from the area could not come. Some of them, I think. Anyway, for everyone and the whole world of sports that was directly affected by the facilities. With their families and their own livelihoods, we want you to feel it and we all feel that we have to help in sports as it was done,” said King Felipe VI.
“Nowadays, we show teamwork, solidarity. These are things that athletes know very well, especially in team sports, but it’s something that we have to show outwardly with the community. All those affected by DANA,” he said.