It had to be María Vicente’s (22 years old) big day. She was in the best shape of her life. She had just broken the Spanish pentathlon record a month ago. She appeared at the World Cup in Glasgow with the best record of the participants. But everything went down in an instant. At the moment when she was going to cross the 1.73 meter high bar, she noticed a sharp pain in the Achilles tendon of her left leg. She immediately realized that the world was coming down on her.
“Please, no, please, no,” he mumbled between his teeth and with tears already streaming down his face. She put her hands to the area of ??the injury and could no longer get up. The rivals and judges came to the high mat trying to provide impossible consolation. And in the end the stretcher appeared to abandon the World Cup in this way. The worst was confirmed later. Complete rupture of the Achilles tendon, which means he will not be able to be in the Paris Olympic Games either.
And look, the morning had started well for L’Hospitalet. He had taken the lead in the pentathlon in the first event, the 60 meter hurdles. With a great time, too. 8.07 seconds, just one hundredth worse than his personal best, which he achieved in the Spanish Championships. Vicente was smiling then, despite having a zero start that didn’t affect him at all.
Ramón Cid’s pupil had it in her power to make history and obtain for Spain the first international medal in the absolute category in the combined. Finally she seemed to have put the injuries and frustrations behind her. She finally emerged again after having been a child prodigy, world youth champion and European junior champion. But this time she has not been the good one either and again she will have to start over.
“When I speak with Dr. Jordi Puigdellívol, who operated on my quadriceps, and with Miquel Àngel Cos (physiotherapist), whom I completely trust, they will take me to Barcelona to have surgery and begin rehabilitation, no matter how long it takes. Rest assured that I will come back, I hope stronger,” said Vicente, still excited.
A real shame for her and for the Spanish team, since she was one of the strongest options for a medal.
