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Adriana Cerezo, the ‘wonder child’, wants it all | Paris 2024 Olympic Games

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“If I aim for the moon and land on a mountain, then I go for it.” Taekwondo athlete Adriana Cerezo, known as the wonder girl who mesmerized the public with her silver medal in Tokyo, is not one to mince words or beat around the bush. She wants gold in Paris, and then in Los Angeles 2028, and to be “the best in history” in her sport… To start with, she wants everything, and then we’ll see how far she goes. She doesn’t hide it from anyone. “I’m not going to settle for anything less. In the end, if you lose tomorrow, no one will remember, for better or for worse,” says this 20-year-old from Madrid, one of the clearest medal options for the Spanish delegation. Gold, of course, after the final disappointment in Japan.

Because she proclaims it wherever she goes and because the results also put her in that privileged position of dreaming with her head. Since she enchanted everyone three years ago with her silver and her smile, she has hardly left the podium in this cycle, and in Paris she presents herself as the number two in the Olympic ranking in -49 kilos and European champion for three months. On Wednesday 7 August, starting at 9.00, four fights separate her from the only goal she has in mind. In parallel and in the same hall of the Grand Palais, Adrián Vicente will chase his medal in -58 kilos. Another Spaniard who figures on the list of great candidates.

“Expectations are not a burden because no one has more faith in me than me, my coach and my parents,” says Adriana Cerezo. “The day people expect me to lose, I will have to give up. I want everyone to believe that I deserve it when I am Olympic champion. I have a model of work, intensity, and enjoyment, and I want that to be reflected. Many things were seen in Tokyo and I hope that in Paris, too,” says this young woman, who has gone from surprising her rivals in Japan to challenging them in the French capital.

Adriana Cerezo, in the gym. Jaime Villanueva

“She has always been like that, like a bit of a wimp. She is very intelligent, she expresses herself quite well, and she is constant and committed,” says Jesús Ramal, her trainer since she was 11 years old at the Hankuk gym, located on a small street in San Sebastián de los Reyes (Madrid), a kind of taekwondo bubble – different from the High Performance Centres – where recreational practitioners share a room with medal hopefuls. She has been there every day for a decade, except on Sundays, when she is forced to rest. “They have me grounded,” she says. From Monday to Saturday, she comes for double sessions from Alcalá de Henares, a half-hour drive away. “She has been a nuisance since she was little, but she has a button to activate and relax. She sleeps easily and has no worries,” says her trainer.

Expectations are not a burden because no one has more in me than me, my coach and my parents.

Ramal also aims for “the highest mountain”. “But,” he clarifies, “as an adult, I put myself in all the scenarios and, if she falls, I will make up a story and redirect her to another challenge,” he confesses. “The Thai [Panipak Wongpattanakit]the Turkish [Merce Dincel]the China [Qing Guo] “They are her main rivals, although the favourites do not usually win by a very high percentage. We have to be careful not to get an Adriana, because she was not the favourite in Tokyo,” she warns.

Cerezo, who admits that she has often been unaware of all that her freshness has conveyed, says that in these three years she has not had the strength to watch the entire final in Japan, where she lost the gold in the last seconds to Wongpattanakit, the current number one. She does not usually do so, but in this case even less so. “If I watch a piece, I do not sleep well. I was not aware that I was doing better. Nor did I have Jesus nearby to tell me that I could do more. I should have won,” admits the young woman, who despite her maximum ambitions does not lose sight of the unpredictable nature of her sport, in which everything is contested in one day. “The one you think is the worst gets up inspired and is the champion. In athletics, I do not believe that the one with the last time will win,” she points out.

She has always been a bit of a badass. She is very intelligent, expresses herself quite well, and is constant and committed. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Jesus Ramal, his coach

“It has been three intense, but exciting years,” the taekwondo athlete sums up about the Olympic cycle that has confirmed her in the elite. She and her team also had to deal with the consequences of the success in Tokyo. “I wasn’t very aware of this at the beginning either,” Ramal admits. “Sports managers, sponsors, scholarships appeared… But we have been exploring it calmly and she has her feet on the ground,” adds the coach.

In a trunk in Saudi Arabia

Meanwhile, Cerezo is already in her third year of Criminalistics, “which is not Criminology,” she points out. “Criminalistics is all the scientific part, toxicology, ballistics, study of scenarios… That would take me to the police, insurance issues, expert reports… I was going to study Biochemistry, but speaking with my father, he said to me: ‘Do you see yourself in a laboratory in 10 years?’ No way,” she remembers. “She is in year-to-year courses and I am trying to retain her,” admits Jesús Ramal. “Make this one for me in two years,” I tell her. Because if she doesn’t take hours of training from me, she has to do it from somewhere. And she will be taking it from her break, which I consider a priority,” adds her coach. Something she denies: “I no longer stay up until two in the morning. I am forbidden to do so.”

Adriana Cerezo has done it all so far: she has been able to hit the ground running and compete in competitions while living adventures like the one in Saudi Arabia just after turning 18. “We wanted to take an Uber after training, but the app was only for girls and they wouldn’t accept us for the ride. Suddenly, a car arrived and a bunch of kids started getting out. But there were about 10 of them, it looked like the Simpsons car. They knew me from the Games, they asked me for a photo and we asked them to take us to a supermarket. But there were only five seats, and there were five of us plus the two kids. So I got into the trunk with another friend and then we found out that the driver was 14 years old. In this time, everything has happened to us,” says the young woman, thin, tall and always with a good face.

An intense journey on the way to the Paris Games. “If she enters with what she is, we will have a good chance of success,” concludes her coach Jesús Ramal.

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2024-07-21 03:15:00
#Adriana #Cerezo #child #Paris #Olympic #Games

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SAD|| 10 Players Who Lost Everything After Divorce, Number 5 Will Shôck You

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The Hidden Financial Struggles of Footballers: Divorce’s Costly Toll

The glamorous image of professional footballers, with their luxurious lifestyles and multimillion-dollar contracts, often obscures a harsh reality: the financial devastation many endure through divorce. Behind the fame and fortune, several high-profile players have seen their wealth significantly depleted after parting ways with their spouses, a stark reminder that no amount of money can fully shield one of the financial pitfalls of personal relationships gone awry…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

One of the most shocking examples is that of former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué, who lost not only his properties in England but also custody of his children following a bitter divorce. Despite earning millions during his career, Eboué found himself stripped of almost everything. His situation became a cautionary tale, underscoring that even the wealthiest footballers can fall victim to the financial ruin that divorce can bring.

Eboué is not alone. Football legends such as Thierry Henry and Ryan Giggs have also experienced significant financial losses due to divorce. Henry reportedly paid £10 million to his ex-wife, while Giggs parted with an astonishing £40 million after his marriage ended. Louis Saha and Wes Brown, both former Manchester United players, also suffered substantial financial hits, with Brown declaring bankruptcy despite earning £50,000 per week during his time at the club. His case highlights how even vast earnings can quickly evaporate when faced with legal settlements and financial mismanagement.

David James, the former England goalkeeper, faced a particularly dire situation, losing much of his fortune after divorce and being forced to auction his personal belongings to make ends meet. Similarly, Ray Parlour, another Arsenal great, saw his ex-wife receive half of his £10 million fortune, including a £2.5 million house. Jamie Redknapp, a former Liverpool star, also faced a hefty settlement, parting with half of his estimated £15 million fortune after his marriage ended.

These are just a few of the many footballers who have faced financial disaster due to divorce. Keith Gillespie, once a key figure in the Premier League, lost over £7 million, leading to his bankruptcy in 2010. Despite earning significant wages during his career, his divorce and poor financial decisions left him in financial ruin. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Perhaps the most shocking case is that of Tendai Ndoro, a Zimbabwean striker who lost everything after registering all his properties in his wife’s name. Following their breakup, she kicked him out of the house, leaving him with nothing. Ndoro’s story serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of not protecting one’s assets, even in relationships where trust is implicit.

For footballers, whose careers often peak early, these financial setbacks can be devastating. While their salaries are among the highest in professional sports, the combination of short career spans, legal fees, and divorce settlements can quickly erode their fortunes. Many players also face additional challenges in managing their finances due to a lack of financial education or oversight during their playing years.

These stories underscore the importance of safeguarding personal wealth, especially for high-earning individuals like footballers, who may be more vulnerable to financial upheaval. Proper financial planning, asset protection strategies, and prenups are increasingly necessary tools for protecting one’s earnings and securing a stable future.

In conclusion, while the public sees footballers as insulated by their wealth, the reality is that they are just as susceptible to the financial hardships of divorce as anyone else. The personal struggles behind the scenes reveal that their lives, though glamorous on the surface, are often fraught with the same vulnerabilities and challenges faced by ordinary individuals. These cases serve as sobering reminders that financial security is never guaranteed, even for those at the pinnacle of success.

 

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NFL | The best was yet to come, and then no

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In February 2022, the Bengals missed the Super Bowl by three small points, but regardless, the future seemed bright in Cincinnati.


Posted at 1:13 a.m.

Updated at 7:00 a.m.

In any case, that’s what we, the most seasoned experts in American football, believed, capable of seeing the future each season, often in a very impressive way; for example, this column has been predicting since 1970 that the New York Jets are not going to win the Super Bowl, and that’s still exactly what happens.

The Bengals have never won anything, but their presence on the big stage two years ago suggested that, a bit like the Nordiques in 1990, the best was yet to come.

Well, no.

As of this hour, the Bengals are a dismal 1-4, and even then, their only win came against the Carolina Panthers, who are about as bad as they are.

The good news for the Bengals is that this “landing” is fairly easily explained: their defense is pretty awful. The less good news is that it is probably already too late to try to solve this problem.

In five games, the Bengals have allowed a total of 145 points, which gives a pretty staggering average of 29 points per game. No one else in the American Association looks this bad, and in the league as a whole, only the Carolina Panthers are even worse in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Bengals are wasting the best years of Joe Burrow, who turns 28 in December. He wouldn’t be the first quality quarterback to waste his talent in this uniform.

Is it necessary here to remember that in American football, as in life in general, there is never anything certain? This reality reminds us of this sublime quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who once wrote that “supreme happiness is a hundred times sweeter to hope for than to obtain”.

Rousseau must have been a Bengals fan, obviously.

You are probably aware that the New York Jets fired their coachbut that’s not the worst. The worst part is that poor Robert Saleh would have been escorted to the door like a pauper by security agents.

PHOTO MIKE STOBE, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh

It’s undoubtedly one of the worst moments in the history of a club that collects the worst moments, from Mark Sanchez dropping a ball on his lineman’s pussy, to a visibly hot Joe Namath trying to to kiss a reporter live on TV (we’re going to move on to the naughty photo of Brett Favre because there are children here).

We can never repeat it enough: in football, as in life, everything starts from the top. The leaders of the Jets, who display a level of competence similar to that of the inventors of Pepsi Crystal, thus opted for the easy way, instead of realizing that their ground game is non-existent, and that their quarterback who hears voices in his head is finished.

In addition, barely installed, new coach Jeff Ulbrich decided to give control of the attack to assistant Todd Downing, who will call the plays from now on. This is not a detail because this task previously fell to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, close and confidant of Aaron Rodgers.

It’s obvious that this is going to end very badly. As per usual.

Someone whispers in my ear that the inbox is overflowing again, so let’s get to it right away.

First, Luc Girouard from Sept-Îles sends us this timely little comment: “Would Prince Rodgers have plotted to kick Robert Saleh out in order to take his place? »

We all see what you did, Luc.

Then, there is a certain Nicolas B. from Laval who sent this: “Hi Richard. Great weekly column on football. Really entertaining. In addition, you allow my teenagers to read about football in French, which is still a challenge […] If you ever make a reference to my comment, my sports travel gang is buying me a beer on our next trip. »

You will demand a micro beer, Nicolas. Finally, there is Marco Campanozzi who can no longer hear about “mixing” and the right chair: “I can’t do it anymore!!! »

We are Marco.

It will be another great opportunity to lock yourself in front of the TV while pretending to do something constructive, because Sunday’s menu is particularly spicy.

Thus, Commanders in a state of grace will go to Baltimore to prove that they are serious, the Chargers will go to Denver in the hope of recovering after two defeats in a row, and the Cowboys will host the Lions, in a match that they can’t really let slip away, just to build something following the little miracle last Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

Don’t forget to check out the colors during halftime.

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A young badminton player realizes his deceased father’s dream

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Only 13 years old, badminton-player-honors-fathers-dream-at-nationals/” title=”13-year-old Saskatchewan badminton player honors father’s dream at nationals”>Gautham Sumesh is preparing to realize the dream of his father, who died six months ago: he will soon participate in the National Badminton Championship.

My father was really addicted to badmintonrecalls the Saskatchewan teenager. He really liked that I played.

Gautham Sumesh has been playing badminton since he was old enough to handle a racket. The first time he managed to beat his father, Sumesh Pulavathil, he was offered a drink to celebrate the event.

Sadly, Sumesh Pulavathil died in a road accident near Estevan last October.

Despite the tragedy, the teenager continues to carry his family’s dreams: Gautham Sumesh won the provincial championships this year and is preparing to participate in the National Championship in New Brunswick.

He would be really happyhe believes.

Dreaming of badminton

The young player’s parents left India in 2022 in the hope that their son would become a top badminton player.

: Gautham badminton”,”text”:”When we moved to Canada, we only had one thing in mind: Gautham badminton”}}”>When we moved to Canada, we only had one thing in mind: Gautham badmintonexplains the latter’s mother, Gayathri Ramdas. It is the foundation of our family life.

Her husband put everything in place to help his son play. He bought him shoes and racquets, in addition to devoting many hours to coaching him and other children.

Sumesh Pulavathil (front) was an avid badminton player. (Archive photo)

Photo: Provided by Gayathri Ramdas

Although the family was devastated by Sumesh Pulavathil’s death, there was never any question of the teenager quitting badminton. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Since the death of his father, Gautham Sumesh has undergone intensive training, particularly in preparation for the provincial competition which took place in April.

He remembers that no one knew him when he started competing provincially, but that changed after his victory at the provincial championship.

: “Hey, good job!” Everyone started talking to me and becoming friends with me”,”text”:”After I won, everyone said to me: “Hey, good job! “Everyone started talking to me and becoming friends with me”}}”>After I won, everyone said to me: “Hey, good job!” Everyone started talking to me and becoming friends with meexplained Gautham Sumesh.

A portrait of Sumesh Pulavathil (far left) and his family.

Photo: Provided by Gayathri Ramdas

Despite his son’s success in the championship, Gayathri Ramdas believes the victory was bittersweet due to his father’s absence.

Despite everything, she watched her son grow up and demonstrate the values ​​of sportsmanship and good play that she and her husband wanted to instill in him, as he harbored ambitions of becoming a professional badminton player.

I’m little by little catching up on all the dreams we had.

With information from Janani Whitfield

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