Friday, July 5, 2024, 07:10
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The opening of the Paris Games is just around the corner and the Los Angeles Games are four years away. Adaptive surfing was supposed to be included in the Olympic programme for the first time at the Games in the United States, but in an “inexplicable” decision, according to Aitor Francesena, the organising committee has decided not to propose it as a future event. “We don’t understand anything because it was the opportunity to continue taking steps, to confirm that we are growing. And they made the decision without any explanation,” reflects the champion from Zarautz.
Huntington Beach, a surfing hotspot par excellence located forty minutes from Los Angeles, was to be the chosen location, but the organizing committee has opted to take another route.
ISA (International Surfing Association) President Fernando Aguerre is also upset by the decision. “We are very upset. Our surfers inspire many people, each one of them is an example to follow, and that is why we will fight to achieve this at the Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032.”
The news has been a “big blow” for Francesena at a time in his career when he has been stepping up his participation in events outside Europe. He has just won an event in Costa Rica, not long ago he was on the podium in Byron Bay (Australia) and months ago he triumphed in Hawaii. “Everyone has done their part,” continues Francesena, who is competing in the blind category. “Federations have become involved with adapted surfing, brands have joined in, new championships have appeared… It has been a big blow. I am affected. We had hopes that adapted surfing would have its place in the Paralympics, but…”
Francesena, in any case, wants to see the glass half full and think that “the work we have done is worth something. There are more and more of us who are getting into the water. Personally, it satisfies me more than any medal that someone with a disability has been encouraged to surf after seeing me. That is the greatest thing.”
The decision not to include surfing in the Olympic programme could force Francesena to rethink her schedule because “the physical strain of going from one place to another, competing at the highest level, plus the financial budget that this entails, can only be met if the prize is the Paralympic Games. Without them, we’ll see what happens.”
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2024-07-05 05:10:52
#Francesena #affected #surfing #left #Games
