Paula Barceló: I Hope to Be Fighting for Olympic Medals

This Friday, July 26, thousands of athletes from around the world will wear their country's colors during the opening ceremony of what is likely to be the most important competition of their sports careers: the Olympic Games, which this year are taking place in Paris.

For some of these athletes, it will be their first Olympics, for others their last, and some will experience these Games as if they were their first, like sailor Paula Barceló from Club Nàutic S’Arenal, who visited the studios of Pasión por el Mar to share how she is approaching her second Olympics.

"The event is getting closer, you start to feel the whole atmosphere surrounding the Olympic Games, and honestly, I am really looking forward to it," confesses the sailor, who will compete in the 49er FX class in Marseille with her partner Támara Echegoyen.

Paula and Támara already teamed up in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, an edition marked by the pandemic. "I didn't really experience it as an Olympics because the social aspect was very limited. We couldn't attend the opening or closing ceremonies, there were no spectators, and I didn't see the Olympic Village. So, we hope this year will be different and I can experience it fully," she assures.

These Games are expected to be very different, as in Tokyo the sailors narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing in fourth place. "In the end, we decided to pursue the Paris Olympic campaign partly because of that unfinished business," acknowledges Barceló, who adds, "We approach these Games with the ambition not just to be at the forefront but also to finish strong."

To be among the world's best, the sailors have sailed many miles in national and international competitions. "It's something we've been preparing for not just for four years, but a lifetime," explains the sailor from Club Nàutic S’Arenal, adding, "I think we've done our homework and can face these Games with confidence."

These Olympic Games will be very special for the sailors as Támara Echegoyen is the Spanish flag bearer in Paris. "The fact that Támara is the flag bearer is very special, and I will be in Paris with her, accompanying her and experiencing it," she acknowledges. This is an experience Barceló has been told she must not miss, especially this year if security allows the ceremony to take place on the River Seine, a historic event. "I've been told that the opening ceremony is something you have to experience once in your life because we, as sailors, aren't as exposed and don't feel the warmth of the people at sea," she comments.

From July 28 to August 1, when the Medal Race will be held, Paula Barceló and Támara Echegoyen will be sailing in Marseille, determined to reach the podium and win an Olympic medal. A medal that, according to Paula, will be won by more than one Spanish sailor. "I think there are chances for three or four medals in sailing," she confesses and specifies who she believes will achieve Olympic glory. "Jordi and Nora (470) have been at the top for a long time, as have Diego and Flo (49er). We also hope to be fighting for the medals. And personally, I have a lot of faith in Nacho (IQFoil)."