Hugo Arillo Vázquez (Elche, 28 February 2022) Last Saturday, he had the biggest success of his sports career. Young fighter from Elche, just 21 yearsobtained – 54 kg taekwondo world runner-up.
had happened before Spanish champion in all categories: cadet, junior, sub’21 and absolute. it happened European junior bronze. Inside Hangs the silver medal at the 2022 European Under-21 Championship in Albania. Its development continues unstoppably, and that year Third place in the European President’s CupRoomInternational pen from the Netherlands and Spain and announced Absolute champion of Spain. Now he has silver sealed his fantastic performance. Arzebay World Championship.
But Arillo doesn’t stop. His dream is to be. next Paris Olympic Games 2024. The challenge is not easy. At the Olympics, the weight categories get smaller and have to contend with opponents weighing -54 and -58 kg, so the odds are reduced. His world second place allowed him to rise significantly in the rankings. olympic standings He entered the top ten from 27th place. So presence in Paris is possible and closer.
Did you expect to be second in the World Cup?
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Last world championship went wrong for me and this year’s World Cup was the goal of the season. I prepared myself for this and came in my best shape and just in time.
Did you see that it is possible to win the medal as the qualifying rounds pass?
To be honest, I started regularly. The knee joint was broken. I went with doubt and concern. He knew what to do and what not to do. I was regulating my discomfort but still was not satisfied. Going the second round against the Iranian representative gave me confidence and I told myself that this is how today should be. The key was in the quarterfinals. My best fight was in the semi-finals against the representative of Türkiye. I found myself very good.
And to be world champion?
When I was in the final, I had to do everything. But I met the Korean representative who is the current Asian champion, very high level and very successful.
Did you receive many congratulations for this great achievement?
true yes More than I expected and it impressed me a lot.
Did anything happen that got you particularly excited?
It all got me very excited. But when I saw my roommate, my best friend Pablo Patiño, who is also a taekwondo player at the Sant Cugat High Performance Center, where I have been for four years, talking about the final match at Teledeporte de Televisión Española, and he was excited with me, I was so excited.
I think his parents Julio Arillo and María Teresa Vázquez will be happy…
Certainly. It was they who took me to the Jayán gym in Elche when I was six to start doing taekwondo with Manolo Martínez, the father of Raúl Martínez, the Olympic champion at the last Tokyo Olympics; and Ruben. They could not be in Azerbaijan, but they watched the championship on television. The first phone I got was from my father. He was very excited and did not believe it.
Are you planning to return to Elche soon to celebrate with family and friends?
Now I’m still in Sant Cugat training because I’m going to the European Games on June 23 in Poland. But in July I will take a month off and return to Elche to celebrate this World Cup silver medalist.
Do you see any closer to taking part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games now?
Every athlete’s dream is to compete in the Olympics and that’s what we’re going for. This world second meant a burst of points, adrenaline and the desire to be in Paris. It’s tough because there are only four categories in the Olympic Games and the weights add up to -54 and -58 kilos. But the world runner-up got me so high in the rankings, which is what determines who will be at the Olympics at the end of the year. The points added in a World Cup are much more than those earned in a Grand Prix or European Games. Now I’m very close to the first ten and I’m going for everything.