Maria Isabel Urrutia
I was lucky to see the moment in which our black Maria Isabel Urrutia lifted those 110 kg at boot, on his third attempt and the definitive 132.5 kilograms live they earned or, better, that we earned, all Colombians, the first gold medal in more than sixty years of participation in the Olympic Games. In a first moment that we do not understand nor sport weights J thought it was normal the joy of the black at the end of their participation, because finally, after it was the Millennium games and she was there flying our tricolor, which in itself is cause for pride. But not. His joy was because she knew that had gotten on the podium of the winners, it was going to be at the awards ceremony up in any of those three steps from where you would see the world at his feet. The black rose their hands, danced and smiled from ear to ear while he marched to his dressing room. Then followed a few minutes of calm, of expectation, during which the television commentators They also risked a triumphalist phrase.
It then appeared on the screen the information square of the classification where inexplicably appeared the Urrutia of Colombia in the first place. In those moments is when everyone glad to be here, live here, say that we are here. Only that the black Urrutia had a taste not only of patriotism, of triumph among the best in the world, with sporting pride, but lesson, teaching, humidity and spiritual strength. Coach Gantcho Karouchkov, to whom it owes good part of this rewarding victory, because we must not forget that it was the architect to lower the weight, when asked what was what caught the attention of our big black (capitalized because deserve them), replied: initially was its texture and physical strength, but once I met herwhat convinced me most was his personality, his mental strength, the safety of their conditions and the faith itself itself is very safe that never again go back it to see lifting weights in some contest or Olympiad because, as she herself said, in his career as weightlifter already won everything, he managed all the awards and won all the honours. But Maria Isabel Urrutia leaves us to always several lessons. From it, we learned that not always the luxury in the delegations and the millions of income are the key factors to win. That the scandals, the fencesitters, the screen and the showboating serve only to appear more often on television.
She showed us that in the midst of poverty, ignoring tosudamente the permanent lack of support and with a history on slopes of only economic constraints, can be the best in the world. That the best of the best only needs a spontaneous humility to be annealed as such and that, at the end, above all los laureles, awards, medals or Awards is love for family and country. All that makes Maria Isabel Urrutia not only a golden black or a true Olympic champion, but a simple model of life.