- Title: VARIOUS: OLYMPICS 2012 - Mexico and Argentina honour returning Olympic athletes
- Date: 16th August 2012
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (AUGUST 15, 2012) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF MEXICAN PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON AND WIFE MARGARITA ZAVALA WITH MEXICO'S MEDAL WINNING OLYMPIC ATHLETES GUADALAJARA AND MEXICO MIDFIELDER MARCO FABIAN HOLDING UP HIS GOLD MEDAL CALDERON STANDING NEXT TO ARCHERY SILVER MEDALIST AIDA ROMAN AND IVAN GARCIA, SYNCHRONIZED DIVING SILVER MEDALIST PHOTOGRAPHER AT EVENT GENERAL VIEW OF PRESIDENT CALDERON WITH MEXICAN ATHLETES CLOSE-UP OF GOLD MEDAL PRESIDENT CALDERON WITH FIRST LADY MARGARITA ZAVALA AND MARCO FABIAN PRESIDENT CALDERON WALKING TO THE PODIUM MEXICAN SOCCER GOALKEEPER JESUS CORONA LISTENING TO THE EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MEXICAN PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON, SAYING: "You all are demonstrating that important step of going from the Mexico that almost makes it to the Mexico that can do it. The Mexico that can do it to becoming the Mexico that already did it. These Olympic champions, these medalists, that are honouring us with their visit, are exactly the example we need to be a country of champions, a country of winners, a country of great Olympic athletes." PRESIDENT CALDERON AND FIRST LADY MARGARITA ZAVALA DURING EVENT GENERAL VIEW OF CALDERON WITH ATHLETES BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (AUGUST 15, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RETURNING OLYMPIC ATHLETES VARIOUS OF ARGENTINE PRESIDENT CRISTINA FERNANDEZ WITH TAE KWON DO GOLD MEDALIST SEBASTIAN CRISMANICH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT CRISTINA FERNANDEZ, SAYING: "Congratulations to all. Those who won, those who didn't win, because you gave your best to be able to represent the colours of the Republic of Argentina. The people of Argentina recognize and thank you." VARIOUS OF ATHLETES LISTENING TO PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ RECEIVING THE OLYMPIC TORCH FROM DR. GERARDO WERTHEIN, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY'S OLYMPIC COMMITTEE BASKETBALL PLAYER LUIS SCOLA WATCHING THE HANDOVER OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT CRISTINA FERNANDEZ, SAYING: "The triumph over England was a gold medal for our girls, sincerely. We conducted ourselves perfectly at the London games. We didn't mix in other things (referring to the dispute over the Falklands). I'd like to say that if they had won, I'd have had an attack of hate and would still be bothered." FERNANDEZ APPLAUDING NEXT TO SEBASTIAN CRISMANICH
- Embargoed: 31st August 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: International Relations,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA3UJMW62MUFIB3A2CED6VMK15W
- Story Text: The leaders of Argentina and Mexico on Wednesday (August 15) welcomed home and honoured their athletes returning from the 2012 London Olympics.
In Mexico City, President Felipe Calderon received Mexico's returning athletes at the presidential Los Pinos residence.
Among those in attendance at the event were members of Mexico's gold medal winning soccer team, including star midfielder Marco Fabian and goalkeeper Jesus Corona.
"You all are demonstrating that important step of going from the Mexico that almost makes it to the Mexico that can do it. The Mexico that can do it to becoming the Mexico that already did it. These Olympic champions, these medalists, that are honouring us with their visit, are exactly the example we need to be a country of champions, a country of winners, a country of great Olympic athletes," Calderon said at the event.
The event was also attended by archer Aida Roman, who won a silver medal at the Olympics after narrowly losing to Ki Bo-Bae of South Korea in a shootout in the final, as well as Ivan Garcia, who won a silver medal in the synchronized 10 metre platform diving event along with his partner German Sanchez.
In total, Mexico won seven medals at the London Olympics: one silver and one bronze in archery, two silvers and a bronze in diving, a bronze in Tae Kwon Do, and the country's first ever gold medal in soccer.
In Argentina, President Cristina Fernandez also met with the South American country's returning athletes, including the country's sole gold medal winner, Sebastian Crismanich, who won a gold medal in the men's 80 kg Tae Kwon Do event, and members of Argentina's men's basketball team.
"Congratulations to all. Those who won, those who didn't win, because you gave your best to be able to represent the colours of the Republic of Argentina. The people of Argentina recognize and thank you," Fernandez said at the event.
Fernandez made special mention over the 2-1 victory of Argentina's women's field hockey team over Great Britain in the semi-finals.
"The triumph over England was a gold medal for our girls, sincerely. We conducted ourselves perfectly at the London games. We didn't mix in other things (referring to the dispute over the Falklands). I'd like to say that if they had won, I'd have had an attack of hate and would still be bothered," she said.
Argentina left the London Olympics with four medals. In field hockey, the women's team won a silver medal after losing to 2-0 to the Netherlands in the final, as well bronze medals in sailing and tennis and Crismanich's Tae Kwon Do gold. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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