Just four months ago, she was struck by a car while training on her bicycle.

On Thursday, Spanish ski mountaineer Ana Alonso, 31, clinched a bronze medal in the sprint event at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games in Bormio, Italy, completing an extraordinary comeback just four months after a serious cycling accident.

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Alonso stated that while “beautiful things” may follow this medal, she intends to “remain the same.” “I have been, and still am, focused on the races, because on Saturday we have another one,” she affirmed, referring to the mixed relay where she and her fellow Olympic champion Oriol Cardona are expected to aim high.

Just four months ago, Alonso was struck by a car while training on her bicycle. The medical report detailed severe injuries, including a rupture of the anterior cruciate and internal collateral ligaments with bone edema in her knee, a malleolus fissure, and an acromioclavicular dislocation, among other ailments on the left side of her body.

Opting against surgery, she not only realized her dream of competing in the Olympic Games but also became an Olympic medalist.

“Within the bad luck of suffering that accident, I had the fortune that deadlines were always brought forward, and we never had to take a step back,” explained Anita, who highlighted the invaluable support of her coach, Javi Argüelles.

“The first objective was to reach the World Cup events in Boi Taüll, but we saw that we were having good training sessions at Christmas, so we decided to move things forward and try those in Courchevel. There, in the vertical event, I realized I had the engine.”

Alonso expressed her determination, stating, “I knew I wasn’t going to an Olympic Games leaving someone better than me at home. But I kept believing in myself, and here we are, now, with this medal.”

She described the past months as “very hard” due to additional shoulder and ankle injuries, which initially made her “very dependent for almost everything.”

Recalling the immediate aftermath of the accident, Alonso admitted, “Just after the accident, I thought it was going to be impossible to be here. But I also didn’t think I was going to receive so much affection from so many people, which, in the end, made me think it was possible.”

When asked about a potential celebration this Thursday versus her focus on Saturday’s mixed relay with Cardona, Alonso stated her desire to “enjoy the moment” but confirmed there would be “no big celebration” tonight. “On Saturday, let’s hope we can celebrate something more,” she emphasized, anticipating further success.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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