THALÍA MALLQUI: “I WANT TO END MY CAREER WITH AN OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION”

With calm words but also a sense of dissatisfaction for not obtaining the gold medal she had set her mind on since 2015 when Mallqui was awarded the silver medal at Toronto 2015. From that day on, Thalía Mallqui worked really hard, thinking of bringing joy to her people. That joy that she felt at the Callao stadium.

This time she did not capture gold but had the privilege to step onto the podium to receive the bronze medal that could be her last one at the Pan American Games.

How do you feel after competing?

That I have given my best. I know that I gave it my all on the mat and this is the evidence (showing the bronze medal).

You were saying that you are 32 years old. Do you think that this is the end of your career or there is something else?

No, I need to qualify for Tokyo. I want to participate in the Olympic Games. This is a goal that I have not achieved yet, and I do want to be at Tokyo. I want to end my career with an Olympic qualification. After Tokyo, I will know what is like, the complete picture, because I am 32 years old. I also want to enjoy spending time with my family, my son, my career and see how I feel after. It depends on that.

Now, you also represented everyone because you are a Lima 2019 ambassador. Is that also rewarding in your career?

Yes, it definitely is. All of it is important. The truth is that I felt the support of all people who were encouraging me from the beginning. They know I worked hard for all of this. We all know that competing in your own country is not easy at all, and I knew that I had to prepare very hard because the rivals I have faced were tough. Fortunately, I got a positive result with a bronze medal.

What do you think these Games will leave to Peru? For athletes in general, how much of this will this be useful?

To tell you the truth, a lot. The infrastructure that has been built for these Games is top level, and I am sure that any kid that has seen or all young people that have been following the Pan American Games will be encouraged to participate or train in a first-class place.

I am sure that parents, who are their main support, will encourage them to continue doing what they like and what they are passionate. Also, this is the first step. Wanting to do something and then, being fully focused on that because the truth is that sports help us a lot.

The last thing is very exciting. The support of fans who cheer you on in Callao.

Yes, honestly I felt it at the beginning before fighting and at the end because when I was on the mat, I was really focused. I preferred to give all my attention to the match, and that’s exactly what I did. After that, people made noise. They screamed a lot. The truth is that I was not paying attention so much because I was in my business, and I had to be 100% focused. Well, I’m grateful to everyone because of the support I received. I wanted to get a gold medal, but the opponents were so tough.

The Lima 2019 ambassador earned the bronze medal in the women’s wrestling 50 kg repechage round after beating her rival Jacqueline Mollocana 3-1 by points. That was the 11th bronze medal that adds to the seven gold and six silver medals, with a total of 24 that the Peruvian athletes have achieved shortly after finishing the biggest multi-sports event in the continent.