Mercedes Margalot and a Sydney 2000 memory that follows latent

Mercedes Margalot, the player who was a historical process in the Argentine National Team and today25 years later and from another place, follow the lions and Remember to obtain the first Olympic medal in the history of Argentine hockey. In chronological order and from SportsCenter studies, Mechi He spoke from the preparation stage, passing through the 2000 Sydney himself and then continuing with the Champions Trophy 2001 titles and the 2002 World Cup.

“The preparation of Sydney was a bit the continuity solution of what we had already done in the “Cacho” projectwhich disembarks in ’97. We had already had the World Cup experience in Utrecht ´98, where we had been semifinalists and we finished quarters. In 99 we were champions of the Pan American, with which I say, As for preparation, it was a continuity solution with a huge difference. The proposal had already been in 99, with the ´A of conforming to reach the semifinals, we have to make the leap of quality and start thinking about a podium ‘ And the quality jump is fighting for a medal “Margalot began.

The misunderstanding of the regulationafter having closed a first stage of the tournament with two victories and two losses, generated that lionesseshaving lost with Australia and Spain (rivals in the group that classified the final stage of the contest), They will be forced to beat the Netherlands, China and New Zealand if they wanted to qualify for the final of the Olympic Games. In this regard on this subject, the current driver of SportsCenter confessed the moment in which the group learned:

“The complete coaching staff gathered to us one night to tell us that there had been a mistake, of course, of course, the regulation had read badly and that we advanced to the next phase without units. The truth that one believes that to be champion of whatever, everyone has to win. It is true that it was very personal, Each one went to his room to chew the anger, or sadness, or disappointment, or the feeling that hugged her at that timethe way each one could. But As a group we close that door and said, from now on we are obliged to win everything ‘ And so it was, we went out to win everything. “

When asked about “What did you feel when you get on the podium, receive the silver medal, look at it and say, we did it, we did it,” Margalot replied: “I was a girl, they were my first Olympic Games, I was in Disney, literal hahaha”began. And then he continued: “I think they are sensations that one over the years begins to value more and more, at that time it was touching the sky with your handsI don’t even remember feeling the anger of losing a game. Then each of the Olympic Games I personally lived them in different ways, but that first Olympic medal was the culmination of an absolute delivery as a group, the happiness of having achieved something epic, historical … I encourage you to tell you that today, 25 years later, I value it more“

“The return to the country after Sydney was an incredible reception, the Ezeiza airport exploded. At that time the team leader, Claudia Medici, had a phone and were calling us different media. Everything was unimaginable, the headlines of the newspapers. I believe that the press was always very condescending because I think that spirit always crossed the screen, so even if we lost, the press rescued the best of that defeat. It was wonderful, it was a before and after I think in the Argentine hockey“he declared about what it was to return after having made history with the selection.

While a medal is a symbol that demonstrates the historical achievement that was achieved, the love of the people, the story that was written in those jj.oo. And the friendships that one may have formed is what endures over time: “I think that the most beautiful thing about that Olympic medal is that a month ago all the girls came to eat at home and we laughed how we laughed in that Sidney. The most rewarding that has given me the 12 years of selection, beyond the Olympic medals, is, to continue sharing with that group of friends who are my sisters today, and continue laughing like the first day. The medals, in my case, are stored in a drawer, but it seems to me that this is what remains in the end, friendship. Then the books, the story, is written, but What remains to us is that“Said the former defense.

While Sydney is remembered as a historical fact, The birth of “Las Leonas” was the beginning of a long streak of good resultsamong them the First Champions Trophy Championship in 2001 and the 2002 Perth World Cup. On the 2001 title, Mechi said: “It was the first time in history that Argentina won a Champions Trophy. It seems to me that it was to continue the path we had been doing, ratify that it had not been sporadic or isolated about Sydney, but that we were the best in the world and we were demonstrating it. We showed that we were because we deserved to be there. “

In addition, Mechi told an unmissable anecdote with Sergio Vigil in the middle of the Champions Trophy: “I have many anecdotes, one of them was with “Cacho” (vigil), at one point it challenged me in a technical talk because I had thrown out to remove a ball and made a short corner againstthen the day of the final tells me “You want to make a goal, you’re going to throw yourself, but in the short corner in favor”something that I was not in that position, I did not drag there and In the prepared play I finish scoring a goal by pulling me to divert. “

Finally and to close the talk with AM850.com about the beginning of a golden age for the lions, Mechi Margalot referred to the 2002 World Cupthe first time in the story that the Argentine team became world champion: “It is a path that began to trace years agothat the first step was the story of an Olympic final, that the second step was the story of winning a Champions Trophy for the first time, and that that third step that we all wanted, that is not the last, of course, because the lions continued to grow in all these years, but it was the consecrate world champions. We were undoubtedly the best team in the world and we knew it, but from humility. “