On Saturday, Patrícia Mamona won bronze in the triple jump at the European Athletics Championships insidein Istanbul, Turkey, winning the medal he missed, without being able to defend the title in a final he played injured.
“I have to be happy, because until today I didn’t know if I would participate. Unfortunately I got injured yesterday.” [na sexta-feira] in qualifying. I didn’t say not to be alarmed. Now I’m in a lot of pain, but it was in the adductor and now I feel the knee, which is normal, but I fought to the end,” the Olympic runner-up shared.
Even injured, Mamona, 34 years old, jumped 14.16 meters on the first attempt, seven centimeters more than the day before, in qualifying, but she was unable to overcome 14 meters again, securing her third medal at European Championships on an indoor track, after gold in Torun2021 and silver in Belgrade2017.
“It was the medal that was missing, it was a first, it was a second and I have to be happy with the bronze. I hope it’s nothing serious, because summer and the World Cups are coming,” the Sporting athlete referred , who nevertheless completed the six jumps of the final, taking 13.98, two zeros, 13.90 and 13.41 to finish.
Patrícia Mamona was beaten by Tugba Danismaz, who secured the first medal for hosts Turkey at their European Championships, with 14.31 meters off his national record, 11 centimeters more than Italy’s Dariya Derkach, who finished third, with 14.20.
“Honestly, I was even happy that the Turk won, because Turkey is going through such sad days. I think it was a ‘gift’ that the Turk gave to Turkey and the Turks. Of course I have to congratulate her, because it jumped the most” , underlined the Portuguese, who made her feel more competitive with the audience, even if it was a “hostile” audience, which was not the case.
Already at the Outdoor Worlds in Oregon2022, in the United States, and then at the Europeans, in Munich, Germany, Mamona was conditioned by injury, without ever giving up.
“I was very indecisive, but in the warm-up I decided I could compete and fight for the medals and for the first place. On the second jump I felt it again and it was more about managing the competition. I think I must be happy, I wanted to fight for more, but I couldn’t be here. I have to thank the medical team who have once again done a fantastic job,” he said.
Despite the fear of aggravating the injury, Mamona again tried to keep the ‘trumps’: “It’s one of those things that I don’t want to give my opponents and when I go to the fight I have to assume that I’m 100% and that is what I did”.
Danismaz, who had already matched Mamona’s 14.09 in qualifying, taking first place due to the Portuguese’s clean sheet in the second test, won again to secure the home side’s first medal.
“It was her day and not mine. And I wasn’t very lucky with the board either, because I had to take risks on the first jumps and unfortunately they were way behind. I have to be happy with this whole journey, these are my sixth championships from Europe, I don’t know if I will come again, I don’t want to say goodbye, but the next ones will not be until 2025 [em Apeldoorn, nos Países Baixos]… I don’t know if I’ll be there and I’m leaving here happy with a medal,” he assured, pledging to keep fighting “while having energy and the equipment of Portugal on my chest”.
Despite being a long way from the 14.51 meters of his best European mark of the year and his national record of 14.53, which earned him the European scepter two years ago, Mamona’s bronze medal rises to three metals’ captured by Portugal in Istanbul2023, equaling the total of Torun2021, with three golds, and Valencia1998, with one gold and two silver.
Source: DN
