For Luana Alonso, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games were the first of her career that she was able to truly enjoy. They were also her last.
At just 20 years old, the Paraguayan surprised on Saturday by announcing her goodbye to swimming, minutes after finishing in sixth place in the 100-meter butterfly event. Her record was 1:03.09.
Through Instagram, where he has more than 250 thousand followers, he communicated his decision: “It’s official! I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all very much for the support! Sorry Paraguay ♥️ I just have to say thank you!”
“I had mixed feelings because it didn’t go the way I wanted, to be able to finish my career comfortably, but I am happy that my last competition is in the Olympic Games,” Alonso told the AP agency.
The Paraguayan debuted in the Olympic Games when she was 17 years old, in Tokyo. She finished fourth in her heat of the 100 butterfly, but with a time that was the 28th best among 33 competitors.
“This is the first time I have truly experienced the Olympic Games, although I was in Tokyo, I got COVID and I was not well,” Alonso said, without going into details of his health problems three years ago. “Despite that, I feel like I did a lot of things for my country… I gave them a lot of joy.”
“I’m not retiring because of that pressure. That is totally separate, I always knew how to cope with social networks with my sports career,” added Alonso, who holds four national records in his country. “That part did not affect me so much in the decision, it is personal reasons and it is the best decision for the moment.”
Who is Luana Alonso?
Luana Alonso, the 20-year-old Paraguayan swimmer who competed in Paris 2024. Photo: XLuana Alonso is a 20-year-old swimmer who will represent Paraguay in the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024. She had already done so in the Tokyo 2020+1 Olympic Games, in the Budapest 2022 World Cup and in the absolute South American Games in Asunción 2022.
He also stood out at the Rosario 2022 South American Youth Games, where he won three medals, including gold in the 100-meter butterfly (with a national record).
Alonso started swimming from a very young age. She participated in his first school games at the age of 11; After she won, when she heard the Paraguayan anthem, she realized that she loved swimming and that she wanted to be in the Olympics. She would end up fulfilling that dream at the age of 17.
Today, Alonso is a scholarship recipient from the National Sports Secretariat and studies Political Science at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, United States, a career she put on pause to prepare for the games.
Alonso has been swimming since she was little. Although she had planned to compete for several more years, she surprisingly announced her retirement. Photo: InstagramAlthough she is one of the best swimmers in South America, Luana does not want to dedicate her entire life to the sport. “I love swimming, but to a point (…) It’s not what I want in life,” she said in conversation with 730 AM radio.
In that interview she also said that her ultimate dream is to compete in three Olympic games, but above all “to be a mother” and start a family. “I want to have a family. And if I remain linked to swimming, I think that will not be able to happen.”
sbobet sbobet88 sbobet sbobet88