ARGENTINA: GYMNASTICS: Valeria Pereyra is on her way to the Olympics despite a late start in gymnastics
Record ID:
330692
ARGENTINA: GYMNASTICS: Valeria Pereyra is on her way to the Olympics despite a late start in gymnastics
- Title: ARGENTINA: GYMNASTICS: Valeria Pereyra is on her way to the Olympics despite a late start in gymnastics
- Date: 2nd May 2012
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OLYMPIC GYMNAST VALERIA PEREYRA WITH COACH DANIELA CONDE WATCHING PARTNER TRAIN VARIOUS OF PEREYRA TUMBLING VARIOUS OF PEREYRA PRACTISING FLOOR ROUTINE CONDE WATCHING VARIOUS OF PEREYRA DOING FLOOR ROUTINE GENERAL VIEW OF GYM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OLYMPIC GYMNAST VALERIA PEREYRA SAYING: "I think it's all a reward. I started training late, because at 11 years old as a gymnast you're already old. You already have a base and it's difficult to improve that base. I think the sacrifice I've made for the last five years is showing results. And obviously it was not just me, because I have a lot of people around me who help and support me. I'm very happy." VARIOUS OF PEREYRA PREPARING TO PRACTICE ON UNEVEN BARS VARIOUS OF PEREYRA STARTING UNEVEN BAR ROUTINE VARIOUS OF PEREYRA ENDING UNEVEN BAR ROUTINE PEREYRA'S HANDS PEREYRA WITH TRAINING PARTNER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OLYMPIC GYMNAST VALERIA PEREYRA SAYING: "I qualified for London 2012. The idea is to train hard with the clear objective of making it into the top 24 and getting into the final round. It's a pretty high goal, but we really want to do it. We are working at 100 percent to get closer everyday." VARIOUS OF PEREYRA BEGINNING BEAM ROUTINE VARIOUS OF PEREYRA DOING FLIPS ON BEAM (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OLYMPIC GYMNAST VALERIA PEREYRA SAYING: "The fact that I'm going I think changes my situation - to have on my resume the Olympic Games is not a small thing. And obviously I have the pressure on me that a ton of Argentines are going to be watching me, but I want to do it." COACH WATCHING VARIOUS OF PEREYRA PRACTISING ROUTINE ON BEAM VARIOUS OF PEREYRA DISMOUNTING
- Embargoed: 17th May 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA2OTI5Y7WKR5THO2PAZDXIQIRP
- Story Text: No one would have predicted it a few years ago, but Argentine gymnast Valeria Pereyra will be competing in London for the 2012 Olympics.
In the demanding world of gymnastics, Pereyra is a rare success story. Most Olympic gymnasts start formal training as young two or three years old.
But Pereyra, who at 16 will be the youngest Argentine competing at the London games, didn't get serious about gymnastics until she was 11.
She said sacrifice helped her gain ground on the competition.
"I think it's all a reward. I started training late, because at 11 years old as a gymnast you're already old. You already have a base and it's difficult to improve that base. I think the sacrifice I've made for the last five years is showing results. And obviously it was not just me, because I have a lot of people around me who help and support me. I'm very happy," she said.
Pereyra's days are grueling. She gets up at five in the morning to make it to the gym, where she runs through four-hour training under the eye of coach Daniela Conde.
She eats a quick lunch before hustling off the high school in the afternoon.
Conde has Pereyra working hard on all disciplines: floor routine, parallel bars, uneven bars, the vault and the beam.
Conde is hoping Pereyra can put in a strong overall performance and make it to the final round.
"I qualified for London 2012. The idea is to train hard with the clear objective of making it into the top 24 and getting into the final round. It's a pretty high goal, but we really want to do it. We are working at 100 percent to get closer everyday," Pereyra said.
Pereyra qualified for the Olympics at trials in London in January, where finished 21 to place amongst the 30 who directly qualified.
"The fact that I'm going I think changes my situation-to have on my resume the Olympic Games is not a small thing. And obviously I have the pressure on me that a ton of Argentines are going to be watching me, but I want to do it," she added.
She will be the first Argentine woman gymnast to compete in the games since Celeste Carnevale went to Athens in 2004. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None