World Athletics Indoor Championships begin on Friday
A Portuguese national team bereft of its main stars is still hoping to make a splash at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland between Friday and Sunday.
The 17-athlete team will be missing Pedro Pichardo, Olympic triple jump champion; Patrícia Mamona, Olympic triple jump silver medallist, and Auriol Dongmo, shot put world champion in 2022 and European champion in 2021, all recovering from injuries.
“Obviously, every team wants to have its best talents. We have many good talents, but it is a fact that we are missing three medal winners at big competitions. But we must face these absences as a possibility for them to recover and prepare in the best possible way for the big events of the summer, like the Outdoor European Championships and the Olympics,” said national ‘team leader’, Luís Pereira.
As he told Lusa news agency, the Portuguese Athletics Federation (FPA) “always participates in these World Championships with the expectation that its athletes will outdo themselves. That is always the goal. We are sure that is what they work towards daily.”
Isaac Nader (1,500m), Jessica Inchude (shot put) and Tiago Luís Pereira (triple jump) were singled out by Luís Pereira as the three athletes most likely to achieve a podium spot at the competition, with the ‘team leader’ stressing the “great performances” by Isaac Nader on the international stage. He also said Jessica Inchude has been improving her performances and that Tiago Luís Pereira could have “his big day” in Glasgow. Despite the team’s hope, a lack of podium finishes will not be met with “frustration,” he guaranteed.
Portugal has won 15 medals in its history at the Athletics Indoor World Championships.
