Patricia Mamona is fighting to be 100% and still dreams of the “great leap” towards the 2024 Olympics.

The athlete Patricia Mamona stressed this Saturday that she is doing everything possible to return to training at 100% and still dreams of the “big leap” to Paris 2024, although she believes that there is a “great risk” of not qualifying.

“Only time will tell whether I will have time to recover. At the moment I am fighting and doing everything I can to succeed this month, training 100%, competing and still having the dream and desire to succeed.” I will make a big jump that will allow me to go to Paris,” the vice-president of the Olympic Triple Jump at Tokyo 2020 told Lusa.

Absent from the European Athletics Championships in Rome, which runs from June 7 to 12, and the Paris 2024 qualifying period closes at the end of the month, Mamona still has no prospect of returning as the focus is on “training at 100%” .

“I have to be realistic and say that there is a big risk that I won’t be able to do this in a very short period of time. “I’m focused on being successful and I just want to get out of this situation.” I still have a lot to give, I have a lot of energy, and if we manage to solve this problem, if not this month, then in the second or third. The main thing is that everything is 100% good. at this moment,” said the 35-year-old Sporting athlete.

Considering the process of recovery from injury a “mental problem” that has affected her for several months, Patricia Mamona noted that the body is “experiencing some difficulties in recovery” and, although she can train, for the Games she needs to be without restrictions.

“We have been struggling with symptoms all this time. I could train reasonably, but I couldn’t train 100%. To go to the Olympic Games, it is important for me to be 100%, as the risk of injury is even greater. Finally, we were able to understand the cause of all these symptoms, and now we are fighting the cause,” he also emphasized.

Patricia Mamona spoke on the sidelines of an event organized by the Museum of the President of the Republic, the Portuguese Olympic Committee, the Portuguese Paralympic Committee and several sports federations to mark World Children’s Day in the gardens of the Belém Palace in Lisbon.

“When I started playing athletics, what I wanted most was to see my idols and influencers, Naida Gomes and Nelson Evoras. In a sense, they motivated and inspired me to continue my sports career. Being around athletes and knowing that they have come through the sport and achieved success is also a way to inspire and encourage children,” explained the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, whose photographs are in high demand.

Among those present were Olympic champions Rosa Mota (Seoul, 1988) and Fernanda Ribeiro (Atlanta, 1996), in the marathon and 10,000 meters, respectively, judoka Nuno Delgado, bronze in Sydney 2000, sprinter Francis Obikwelu, silver in Athens 2004 100 meters, Rui Silva, bronze. at a distance of 1500 meters in Greece or canoeist Emanuel Silva, silver at a distance of K2 1000 meters in London in 2012, paired with Fernando Pimenta.

“When I started doing triple jump, unfortunately I had some negative words and they said I didn’t have the genetic makeup to be a jumper. I was very young and just wanted to do the triple jump, that was what I liked the most. and where I felt comfortable. They are children and they should enjoy life now because when they get older and the level is higher there will be a lot of responsibility as they represent the country and the club and they will have to do what they want. like, it doesn’t matter if it’s done well or poorly,” he said.

The events, held in the gardens of the Belem Palace from 10:00 to 19:00, included demonstrations of Olympic and Paralympic sports, gymnastics demonstrations, a parade of mascots of sports federations and talks on sports.