The Future of Paola Espinosa in the Olympic Cycle
The upcoming year will be crucial for the future of Paola Espinosa as she seeks to find the right path in this new Olympic cycle that culminates in Tokyo 2020. This is because the diver will have to adapt to changes in her sporting career, including dedicating herself solely to the three-meter springboard and eventually choosing a coach to guide her in achieving her goals.
In her high-performance career, Paola Espinosa has had two coaches: Francisco Rueda and Ma Jin.
“I have many things to do, for now, what worries me the most is fully recovering from an injury I have had for some time. I also have to make that change in my body since the platform is not the same as the springboard, as I will only focus on the three meters," declared Espinosa.
“I know the process is quite long, so Professor Pedro Gato must do a great job with me. I am very slim and I need stronger legs and I need to be heavier to move the springboard well and be coordinated, so I want to do this process well without rushing it. That is the main objective." As for the coach, the diver mentioned that she has already talked to Conade about some options.
“I was there (at Conade) and we talked about the technical coaching and we agreed to see what would be the best option. We did not settle on a name or a place, we just left it as an option, and later on, when my back is well and I am in a good stage of physical preparation, I will see what will be the best option," she said.
Espinosa ruled out the possibility of going to train in Guadalajara, to be under the command of Iván Bautista, who is the coach of Germán Sánchez and Iván García. "It is an option, but it is not a fact. There are very good coaches in Mexico, but I am already 30 years old and have been doing this for 20 years, therefore I must choose someone who suits me and someone I have good empathy with. They are coaches that I do know and I am aware of their trajectory, but I have never trained with them and I have never trained with someone different for many years. So, when I make an intelligent decision, I must think carefully about who will be my coach," she shared.
She added: "I think my plan is to go and see how they train. I need a coach who knows that preparing a 15-year-old athlete is not the same as preparing me, so it must be someone who has studied well, who knows the training loads well."
It should be noted that in mid-October, the diver ended her relationship with the Chinese coach Ma Jin, who trained her for 11 years and achieved the world championship with her in 2009 as well as two Olympic medals, to mention some notable results.
"I feel very calm. I believe I did things as I should have done them. I do not regret my decision, right now I am happy and in a stage where I am recovering from my back. Professor Pedro Gato is part of my team along with my doctor Andrea Campos, the three of us are working together and I will see another coach in the future, but for now, I am very content," she mentioned.
Furthermore, the 30-year-old athlete indicated that she has not returned to the Ceforma facilities to train and will look for another place to prepare herself in this Olympic cycle. "I am no longer there and I hope not to return. I am doing physical preparation in a gym."
Paola still does not know which competition she will start the 2017 season in, as her primary goal is to recover physically.
"I could not know which competition because it depends on whether I am ready for it. I believe I will be, but there is still a long way to go. Right now, I want to make a smooth transition from platform to springboard. It would be great to have a synchronized partner in the springboard and I would like it to be Dolores Hernández since I became Pan American champion with her," she concluded.