Maria Jose Ribera: "I gave it my all, I was very excited to see the support of the Bolivians"

The swimmer from Santa Cruz, María José Ribera, 27, shared her emotions after competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “I gave it my all, I was very excited to see the support of the Bolivians. I am very happy; maybe it was not the result I wanted, but I was close to my best and I will continue training hard thinking about what is to come,” she said in an interview for the Bolivisión network.

Ribera, who leads the national swimming competition, represented Bolivia in the 50-meter freestyle event, becoming the third Bolivian athlete to enter the Olympic event. Despite finishing fourth in her series with a time of 26 seconds and 7 hundredths, it was not enough to access the next stage, where only the 16 best placed athletes advanced. This performance, although it did not allow her to advance, placed her in 28th place among 79 competitors, highlighting her effort in a high-level competition.

The swimmer from Santa Cruz also revealed that she has been dealing with back pain for months, although she does not consider it an excuse. “I have had an injury for a while; the competition was approaching and the pain increased a bit more. I imagine it is due to stress, but I do not think it has harmed me much at the time of the test,” she added, showing her determination and mental strength.

Looking to the future, Ribera spoke about the challenges that lie ahead in the coming months. “There is a World Championship in Hungary, and my strength right now is the 25-meter events. In that modality I am among the top 20 in the world, and I am going to prepare intensively for that competition,” she said, making clear her commitment to the sport and her desire to continue improving.

However, Ribera also took the opportunity to highlight the lack of support that Bolivian athletes receive from national authorities in various disciplines. “We athletes have been preparing for years with our own resources. I want to make a request for the authorities to establish a solid support structure for national athletes. There are many athletes who do not make it to these events (Olympic Games) due to lack of resources,” she said, emphasizing the need for a change in the way sport is supported in Bolivia.