The orotinense cyclist is determined to become Costa Rica’s Olympic representative at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. A goal she seeks to consolidate with the support of her new continental team Soltec Iberoamerica Costa Calida.
Although Milagro Mena had already contemplated some international offers during last season, she preferred to seek Olympic qualification in America, aware of the high competitive demand and the scarce possibility of achieving such units.
“Since last year I had an offer from a team in Great Britain, but I had not wanted to move to that side despite having that opportunity because let’s face it: to seek an Olympic qualification, it is often easier to do it here than to go to seek points in Europe, we know it is quite difficult because of the level of riders we have there,” said Mena.
The signing by the Spanish-born and Panamanian-licensed team came at the right time, when Milagro is looking for a better and more constant competitive friction.
“Last year perhaps it was not the right time, this year it is the right time and we are given this opportunity through Panama and also thank the Federation of Costa Rica that make many of these things possible for all those ties that there are always good relations.
To the determination to seek Olympic points in America, Milagro added a goal that she worked before and during the Pan American Games in Santiago Chile 2023, with the cool head that only her experience allows her, achieving one of her best careers in continental events representing the National Team.
“Super proud to be able to say that for the second time I give a place to Costa Rica and I hope and trust that I can be in Paris 2024”, expressed Milagro about the only Olympic quota of Costa Rican cycling confirmed until today.
Although she is clear that the place is not an exclusive achievement, she is emphatic in affirming that her only purpose in 2024 will be the Olympic Games. “In the end I am going to be ready, whatever happens, my goal is that and my year 2024 is focused on that,” she declared.
Milagro recalled her first Olympic participation in Rio de Janeiro, highlighting that this experience motivates her even more, to bet everything on a new possibility.
“They are very mixed feelings, my first Olympic experience was something very particular, it was something that did not allow me to prepare the way I should have, it was something very sporadic. For people who don’t know, they called me on Thursday at 11:30 in the morning and told me: your plane leaves at 3:00 in the afternoon. I live in Orotina, I did not have my own car at that time, I looked to see how to get to the airport and I ran, ran because at that moment the possibility opened up. I was 101st in the ranking, the first 100 qualified, there was a sanction there in Rio and the next one to enter was me”, described the national time trial champion.
With her mind clear and her eyes set on a big dream, Milagro Mena ruled out her participation in Mountain Bike competitions and confirmed that she will not miss, for anything in the world, the grand finale of the Gran Fondo Andrey Amador. Then he will focus on his probable debut with the Soltec Iberoamerica Costa Calida in El Salvador.
“There’s a pretty juicy schedule there in El Salvador, I wouldn’t have expected it really. There are nine days of competition there and we know that this will start to help us to have a fairly high pace, she said.
The rider executes her training plan, while waiting for the determination of the Costa Rican Cycling Federation on the Olympic representation and the guidelines of Paula Herrera, the women’s national coach, on the requirements to be met by the chosen one.
Source: Marisol Toro, at www.crciclismo.com