“We have several medals already, but we are missing the gold one, that is the one that counts the most in the medal table,” said López Obrador on August 8, before the fight with Mexican Marco Verde, who won the silver medal in boxing.
At Tokyo 2020, Mexico won four bronze medals in the sports of archery, diving, weightlifting and men’s soccer.
Mexican sport under the López Obrador government has been managed by Ana Gabriela Guevara, who is the head of the National Sports Commission (Conade), the body responsible for regulating organized, amateur and professional sports.
The former sprinter is being investigated by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) for alleged embezzlement of 200 million pesos from the public budget. The Superior Audit Office of the Federation has filed two complaints against her.
Mexico’s last gold medal was won twelve years ago at the 2012 London Olympics, towards the end of President Felipe Calderón’s term. The U-23 team, which included players such as José de Jesús Corona, Israel Jiménez, Carlos Salcido, Oribe Peralta and Giovani Dos Santos, among others, defeated Brazil in the final match.
