Can Mexico Make Waves in Paris? Olympic Hopes High
Mexico kicks off its Olympic campaign in Paris with seven disciplines. Rowing and canoeing lead the charge, followed by shooting, fencing, swimming, table tennis, and surfing. The opening ceremony, held on the Seine River, showcased Mexican athletes on the world stage.
After the outstanding start of archery in both branches, Mexico will fully begin its participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this Saturday with seven disciplines, once the opening ceremony was held this Friday at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
The selected athletes in sport shooting, Goretti Zumaya and Edson Ramírez, will be responsible for opening the Mexican curtain in the French capital in what will be their second Olympic participation, when they compete in the qualifying round of the 10-meter air rifle mixed team on the Châteauroux field.
Three-time Olympian Kenia Lechuga will compete in the single sculls event in the rowing discipline (01:00 hours, Central Mexico time), while Sofia Reinoso will do the same in canoe slalom with the first and second women's rounds (07:00 hours, TCM) together with 25 competitors, both disciplines will take place at the Vaires-sur-Marne nautical stadium.
Gibrán Zea, the only Mexican fencer in Paris 2024, will start his participation in the men's sabre modality with the round of 64 against the Iranian Mohammad Fotouhi at 02:25 hours, TCM.
The activity will continue with swimmer Miguel de Lara, men's 100m breaststroke and table tennis player Marcos Madrid in the men's individual round of 32 against German Dimitrij Ovtcharov.
Finally, Alan Cleland from Colima will start his historic Olympic participation with the qualifying round of men's surfing in the waves of Teahupo'o, Tahiti, where the 48 best exponents of the discipline worldwide meet.
Mexico will be active in seven disciplines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Credit: CONADE
Mexico parades in the historic opening ceremony of Paris 2024
Paris was today more than ever The 'City of Light' shone on Friday night with the long-awaited and historic opening of the Olympic Games, which after 100 years returned to the capital of France in the middle of a ceremony that, for the first time, was held outside a stadium.
Led by Alejandra Orozco and Emiliano Hernández, the Mexican delegation was present at the great event on the Seine River and was part of the parade of the 205 nations that officially presented themselves for the event, which was led by Greece as the country that hosted the event for the first time in modern times.
The incessant rain did not prevent the Mexican flag from waving during the athletes' journey along the six kilometers of the great French artery, which marked an unprecedented event in this Olympic edition.
At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the athletes got off the boats and paraded on Trocadero on their way to the main stage, where, later, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, made the opening statement of the Olympic Games.
The music of the performers Lady Gaga and Celine Dion graced the ceremony, which, despite the weather conditions, the public and other attendees did not stop cheering on their athletes and getting excited by the light show of the Eiffel Tower.
It was the judoka Teddy Riner and the former athlete Marie Jose Perec, who oversaw lighting the balloon-shaped cauldron, which rose to the sky to close the ceremony with a flourish.
Legends such as Zinedine Zidane, Carl Lewis, Rafael Nadal, Nadia Comaneci, Serena Williams, among others, were part of the majestic event.
The Mexican delegation was present at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Credit: CONADE
Kenia Lechuga opens rowing competitions in Paris 2024
The national rowing team Kenia Lechuga Alanís will be responsible for opening the activities of this discipline in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the start of competitions that will take place this Saturday, July 27, at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Lechuga, who will have her third appointment in the top sporting event in the French capital, after her time in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, will be present this Saturday at 02:12 hours central Mexico time, in the preliminaries of women's single sculls, in which she will participate in group 3, together with representatives from Paraguay, New Zealand, Uzbekistan and Cuba.
The first three of each of the six elimination groups will qualify for the quarterfinals, which will take place on Monday, July 29. The rest will go to the event that will take place on Sunday, July 28.
Kenia Lechuga is a silver medalist from the Belgrade, Serbia, 2023 World Cup, champion of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games and in her last preparation competition she won the bronze medal at the III World Cup, in Poznan, Poland, last June.
Kenia Lechuga, in the women's single sculls rowing, will make her debut this Saturday at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Credit: CONADE
This Saturday Sofía Reinoso will also be in action in canoeing slalom, in the first race of the women's individual competitions, at 08:00 TCM and in the second round, at 10:10. At the end of the two events, the 22 fastest in both series will qualify for the semi-final, which will take place on Sunday, July 28.
The Mexican, who will have her second Olympic appointment in Paris 2024, after her debut in Tokyo 2020, will face 24 competitors from countries such as China, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the United States, Brazil and France, among others.
