MADRID, 11 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish breakdance champion, Ana ‘Furia’ Ortega, acknowledges that her life “has changed in a very, very ‘heavy’ way” since her sport was Olympic, going from a “hustler” role to a professionalization that sees important so that “it reaches more people and removes certain stigmas that it has” this modality that will be released in Paris 2024.
“I can’t really explain it because it has changed in a very, very ‘heavy’ way. I’ve always been a hustler before, in the sense that I had my normal job, when I had time, I had to go to training and so on, because I did for love. To this day, I continue to do it for love, but apart from that, they make it easy for me to always be there. I get up and go to train, I haven’t been able to do that during my entire career as a dancer,” Ortega explained to Europa Press after the presentation of the Madrid Urban Sports (MUS) 2022 that is being held this weekend in the capital.
Ana Ortega, better known as ‘Fury’ within her sport, acknowledged that within the Spanish team they are “in the process of knowing how to work” ahead of Paris 2024, where ‘breakdance’ will be Olympic for the first time. “As it is something so new, we are with a great team that has many years of experience, not in ‘breaking’, but in other sports, and we have a lot of support and a lot of help or advice,” she assured.
The dancer affirms that in their sport they have always been “very self-taught” and that thanks to this new teamwork they can have “a simpler trajectory”. “But we’re still in the process of figuring out how we’re going to function,” she acknowledged.
For Ortega, preparing for the first Olympic Games in the history of his sport is “more difficult.” “We don’t have any kind of guideline and we don’t have any image of how it’s going to be. So we’re going a little blind as to how it’s going to be done for us, but we keep going and keep moving forward,” he said.
The athlete was very prominent in the presentation of the 2022 edition of Madrid Urban Sports. “I see it as an opportunity, simply to visualize. I like that they count on me and that I can be the spokesperson so that the ‘breaking’ continues to grow,” she warned.
“The important thing is that it continues to grow, that it reaches more people and removes certain stigmas it has, certain negative thoughts it has. Being an Olympian is reaching many places, so I’m super happy,” she explained.
The Catalan, unaccustomed to having so many spotlights on her, was the visible face of her sport, of which she is the Spanish champion. “I’m getting a little ‘crazy’ with the situation. I woke up quite oblivious to everything that was here and it was crazy to find myself with so many interviews,” she said.
Looking ahead to MUS 2022, of which she is the current runner-up, she does not hide that it will be difficult for her after suffering some physical setbacks. “This week I injured my wrist, but I wasn’t scared since it was the left one and I said ‘Well, I can save it.’ I sprained my foot. So I’m lame and maimed, but removing that, the desire is there and with the emotion the pain is less”, he sentenced with good humor.
Despite the problems, he does not give up anything, because his goal is “always seek the best.” “But you also have to be aware that I have only one body and I have to take care of it because this is a long-distance race, not a sprint, and this is not going to be the only event, there will be more,” said Ana Ortega, who notes much the new preparation by the Federation when planning and working towards the competitions.
For his part, the Peruvian skater Ángelo Caro, Olympic diploma in Tokyo 2020, will be another of the main faces of the MUS 2022, of which he is the current champion. “It’s a bit of pressure to have a title and have to defend it, but in the end I’m doing what I always do and what I’m passionate about, which is riding and I only think about having a good time, enjoying myself and with the goal of being in the podium”, he declared to Europa Press after the presentation of the championship.
Caro believes that competing in Madrid “is going to be a lot of fun.” “It’s going to be very hot and we’re going to sweat every drop to be able to give the best of each one,” stressed the Peruvian, whose goal is “to continue training and continue winning medals.”
For the MUS 2022, Ángelo Caro finds himself with his batteries charged to try to repeat his feat. “Now I’m great, one hundred percent, I’ve been training very hard to be able to get to this day and give it my all,” he remarked.
Ángelo Caro became the first Peruvian to reach an Olympic final since Barcelona 1992 at Tokyo 2020, although he fell just short of winning the medal. “It was very important for me and for my whole country. That motivates me to keep training harder for Paris 2024”, he confessed.
“Despite prejudice and everything we’ve been through at the beginning, we’ve shown that with skateboarding we can get to the Olympic Games and represent an entire country, and that’s the most important thing, showing your art, representing your skate community, your country, your federation, your family and keep processing and progressing to be able to show more,” concluded Caro.
