By Melody Gross 
Launcher, who was in fourth place, says she's happy to see her friend's success
Portuguese Irina Rodriguez expressed her satisfaction with fourth place in the tournament Discus throw at the European Athletics Championships Rome 2024But also with her compatriot Liliana Ka winning the bronze medal.
“I may have won the 'Chocolate' medal, but the reality is that seeing her achieve this medal… She is my friend and I am very happy for her, for the coach, for the team. It was great.” Irina Rodriguez began to say this when speaking to the Lusa agency.
In her sixth appearance, the 33-year-old national record holder achieved her best ranking ever, after sixth place in Zurich 2014, ninth place in Helsinki 2012 and Berlin 2018, 11th place in Munich 2022 and 13th place in Amsterdam. 2016.
“I suffered a lot from anxiety in the tournaments I played, and it was very difficult to be here and be happy and enjoy competing, and I think I finally did that. I owe a lot of that to my coach.” [Júlio Cirino]“My move to Terceira Island, my colleagues at Santo Espirito Hospital, and I think this whole group makes this the best time of my life and I am grateful to God for having this moment,” she said.
Currently without a club, Irina Rodriguez reached 62.76 meters which left her on the edge of the podium in the third start, in a competition in which she also had 62.09 in the first test, 62.23 in the fourth test, and 61.28 to close.
“What an incredible feeling. I'm very, very happy! My big goal was to be in the top eight in Europe and to get fourth is really good. I was able to open the race very well, with a 62.09 and then I just kept trying even more.” “But I competed very regularly, always over 60 and many over 62,” Leiriense admitted.
The competition evaluation was also influenced by the bronze medal won by Liliana Ka, after the Sporting athlete was left off the podium in several major competitions – she placed fifth at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and European Games Munich 2022, sixth at the World Cup Oregon 2022 and eighth in Budapest 2023.
“It was a surreal good night. I am very happy for Liliana, this medal is more than deserved. She has been fighting for medals for a long time. I am as happy as if the medal was mine,” summed up Irina Rodriguez.
When asked about the immediate future, with her presence guaranteed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the national record of 66.60 achieved in March, again alongside Liliana Ka, the Leiria native preferred to enjoy today's result.
“Time will tell. At the moment, what I have achieved and the serenity with which I faced these difficult moments makes everything I have gone through during these 20 years of my career worth it – there have already been six European Championships. It was also the condition that made it possible “To be in a good place, I'm fourth in Europe, which is unbelievable for the doctor who was working last week.”
Croatia's Sandra Elkacevic added her seventh European title in a row, with a distance of 67.04 metres, while Jorinde van Klinken improved on her fourth place finish in Munich 2022, winning the bronze medal, with a 65.99 in the last test, knocking off second place C, one day after winning the silver medal. In fire mode.
By Lusa