VENEZUELA: olympics 2012 - Venezuelan athletes prepare for London games / President Hugo Chavez has made sports an important part of his self-styled revolution
Record ID:
330765
VENEZUELA: olympics 2012 - Venezuelan athletes prepare for London games / President Hugo Chavez has made sports an important part of his self-styled revolution
- Title: VENEZUELA: olympics 2012 - Venezuelan athletes prepare for London games / President Hugo Chavez has made sports an important part of his self-styled revolution
- Date: 19th May 2012
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (MAY 21, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VENEZUELAN DISCUS THROWER JESUS PAREJO TRAINING PAREJO WALKING ON FIELD VARIOUS OF PAREJO GETTING READY TO LIFT WEIGHTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN DISCUS THROWER JESUS PAREJO SAYING: "The results we've had in training have come out well. Now we have to enter in competition and improve a little more." VARIOUS OF PAREJO LIFTING WEIGHTS VARIOUS OF VENEZUELAN TRACK AND FIELD COACH ELENA GONCHAROVA SAYING: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN TRACK AND FIELD COACH ELENA GONCHAROVA SAYING: "When they travelled to Beijing they had an inexperienced group. They were young kids who are now adults, more organised. I think they can compete better now." SIGN READING: FROM VENEZUELA TO LONDON VENEZUELA'S ATHLETIC MINISTER HECTOR RODRIGUEZ TALKING TO YOUNG ATHLETES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELA'S ATHLETIC MINISTER HECTOR RODRIGUEZ SAYING: "We are convinced that Venezuela is going to be a force in sports and we are working everyday so Venezuela is a force in sports. When the kids leave the country they represent all of us. They represent the Venezuela people." RODRIGUEZ TALKING TO YOUNG ATHLETES MOON POOL VARIOUS OF VENEZUELAN SWIMMER ALBERT SUBIRATS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN SWIMMER ALBERT SUBIRATS SAYING: "Obviously it's my big goal and the goal of any amateur athlete. But it's very difficult to get into an Olympic final. I know how hard it is. I'm never going to promise a medal or an outcome. I'm going to promise to give 100 percent, but my big goal is to make it to the final. After making it to the final then obviously I can try for a loftier goal. But more important, first, is making it to the final." VARIOUS OF SUBIRATS TRAINING
- Embargoed: 3rd June 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA2JWMHPOMAPUNJUN7TSHRWBOZ0
- Story Text: Socialist-run Venezuela has so far been unable to replicate the Olympic glories of political bedfellows Cuba, China or the old Soviet Union.
Yet there is no lack of enthusiasm among the 60 or so athletes heading to the London Olympics with the dream of adding to the South American nation's gold medal tally of one.
No one will be cheering them louder than President Hugo Chavez, a sports-lover who has poured oil revenues into the "massification" of sport as a major plank of his self-styled revolution in Venezuela since taking power in 1999.
Athletes like discus thrower Jesus Parejo are part of Chavez's push to increase high level participation in sports.
"The results we've had in training have come out well. Now we have to enter in competition and improve a little more," said Parejo from a Caracas training facility.
Venezuela sent a record number of athletes to the 2008 Beijing Olympics- 110 competed, more than double the number of any previous delegation. But despite the boost in competitors Venezuela's fans were largely disappointed after winning only one medal.
Russian trainer Elena Goncharova, who came to Venezuela a few years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, said experience could mean more medals.
"When they travelled to Beijing they had an inexperienced group. They were young kids who are now adults, more organised. I think they can compete better now," said Goncharova, who oversees Venezuela's sprinters.
Often criticised by Western nations on issues of rights and democracy, the Chavez government says its "massification" of sport, to expand participation and improve facilities, is an overlooked achievement during its 13 years in power.
Venezuela's Athletic Minister Hector Rodriguez said his country sees athletes as ambassadors.
"We are convinced that Venezuela is going to be a force in sports and we are working everyday so Venezuela is a force in sports. When the kids leave the country they represent all of us. They represent the Venezuela people," Rodriguez said.
Albert Subirats, a swimmer from the Carabobo province, will get his chance in London.
"Obviously it's my big goal and the goal of any amateur athlete. But it's very difficult to get into an Olympic final. I know how hard it is. I'm never going to promise a medal or an outcome. I'm going to promise to give 100 percent, but my big goal is to make it to the final. After making it to the final then obviously I can try for a loftier goal. But more important, first, is making it to the final," said Subirats, a national champion in butterfly.
Officials expect Venezuela will send between sixty and seventy athletes to London. They said numbers are down from 2008 because several large teams, including women's softball and women's volleyball, failed to qualify for 2012. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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