Taekwondo athlete Maria Espinoza sets deadline to decide on Olympic cycle

The taekwondo athlete Maria Espinoza has not returned to the tatami since winning the bronze at the World Championships in Muju on June 29th this year. However, she has set a deadline to decide whether she will continue another Olympic cycle and it will be before the celebration of the Pan American Games that will take place in Lima from July 26th to August 19th, 2019.

"I will not compete anymore this year, I only participated in the World Championships. Next year we will see which are the key events I will attend and then make the decision whether I finish the Olympic cycle or not. This will be before the Pan American Games," said Espinoza.

In 2017, Espinoza only competed once and it was in the World Championships in Korea where she returned to the podium after 10 years of not achieving it.

For 2018, Espinoza does not plan to participate in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, which is the most important event for Conade. Therefore, her continuity in taekwondo is still uncertain, but if she decides to go to Lima, Espinoza will complete the cycle that will culminate in Tokyo 2020.

"I know that if I say I will attend the Pan American Games, I will finish the cycle for Tokyo, because the continental competition is not an easy event and it is the stepping stone to the Olympic Games. Therefore, it will depend on how I feel physically and emotionally, and these are factors that I cannot ignore. I have to make sure I feel good in every way," said the triple Olympic medalist.

Espinoza continues with her training at the National Centre for High Performance, but she does it only to maintain her physical condition.

"I am focused on the physical aspect and it's something I haven't neglected. I don't train technically at 100% because of the decrease in rhythm, but I do focus more on the physical aspect. Right now, I am also studying at university and once I finish, I will continue training because I enjoy it and it's part of the stages I have been through," she added.

Maria Espinoza's statements came after the tribute held by the Mexican Taekwondo Federation to the 10 Olympic medalists they've had in their history.

The honorees were: Manuel Jurado (bronze in Seoul 1988), Enrique Toroella (bronze Seoul 1988), Monica Torres (bronze in Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992), Dolores Ann Knolle (bronze Barcelona 1992), Williams de Jesús Cordova (gold Barcelona 1992), Victor Estrada (Sydney 2000), Iridia Salazar (bronze Athens 2004), Oscar Salazar (silver Athens 2004), Guillermo Perez (gold Beijing 2008), and Maria Espinoza (gold Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016).

"It was very important to bring together all the taekwondo medalists, and as they well said, remembering is living. It's amazing to see the different generations and the evolution of taekwondo in Mexico," mentioned Dolores Ann Knolle.

During the ceremony, each medalist watched a video of the moment they won the Olympic medal, which caused much emotion among them. After that, Maria Espinoza delivered a message to the honorees and the authorities.

"I am the last link in this chain at the moment, but there will be more Mexicans who will be part of this history in the future. I am proud because I have achieved three Olympic medals and it hasn't been easy. It requires passion, discipline, and a lot of dedication. But once we have an Olympic medal, the magical and unforgettable moment comes," Espinoza said.