Valentina Barrios gave Colombia the first medal of the championship (© Marabunta Agency)
A family project of 11 years of dedication and discipline has finally borne fruit. After achieving fifth place in the javelin final at last year's World Athletics Championships in Nairobi with 'mended' spikes, Colombia's Valentina Barrios is now one of the best in the world, and she achieved it on home soil.
"Effort, dedication and discipline, that is what my daughter has shown," said Ardidis Barrios, father of Valentina, the Barranquilla athlete who on Tuesday (2) gave the host country its first medal of the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22.
A triumph that represents the overcoming of many challenges that Valentina and her family have gone through to reach the podium in a global championships.
"I feel immense happiness, for all that we have fought for," added Ardidis, without being able to hide his happiness, remembering that only a year ago in Nairobi, Valentina had to compete with her 'mended' spikes.
The spikes, a vital piece of kit for athletes, were at first a difficult item to obtain, because "the throwing spikes were not available here in Colombia". Despite this, Valentina was not ashamed of her broken and patched spikes, and using only her talent and hours of training, she won a South American gold medal and achieved fifth place in her first World U20 Championships held in Kenya last year.
Now, on the second day of competition in Cali, she not only broke the national U20 record with her fourth-round throw of 57.84m, but she also secured the silver medal.
That placed her second behind Serbia's defending champion Adriana Vilagos, who threw a 63.52m championship record, and ahead of Manuela Rotundo, the Uruguayan who also made history by winning the first medal of the ‘Charrúa’ country in a World U20 Championships.
"This is nothing, daddy. I'm going for more," Valentina said to her father, one of the few people who knows from beginning to end the obstacles she has had to overcome to be crowned the second best in the world.
"I feel more that proud and happy to bring the first medal for Colombia, of carrying the colours of my flag. I'm happy to be here and have the opportunity to celebrate with my parents and my people.
"Yesterday I said surprises were coming and this mark was a huge one."
Communications LOC World Athletics U20 World Championships Cali 2022