The 38th WACT/Europe Silver Meeting Madrid 2021 was presented on Friday evening at Vallehermoso Stadium. The competition will take place on Saturday 19 June from 19:30h to 22:30h.
Raúl Chapado, RFEA president:
“We want to thank the public administrations for their collaboration. You must have a lot of courage for a sport as complex as ours to take place and we have always had their support. I am happy that Madrid is a benchmark for athletics worldwide, we have top tier stars and our athletes looking for the Olympic qualification.”
“Our maxim has always been prudence. The doctors and experts who guide us have advised us to be patient. This is a very complex sport, and we are at a key moment for athletes who are aiming to go to the Olympic Games. We have already seen cases of athletes who test positive and are excluded from competitions. Tomorrow we will have more than 600 accredited people, the athletes will also be in the stands. Our priority has always been to keep up the activity and I hope that we can have an audience in the stands very soon.”
Wayde van Niekerk, 400m world record-holder and Olympic champion:
“I am focused on the Olympics, but the most important thing is I am building my shape. I train to feel good again, to find my sensations and my best. I am not obsessed with the time – It is just finishing the race in a good way and using this competition to get back my shape.”
Marta Pérez, 4th in 1500m at European Indoor Championship:
“I am the first qualified by World Ranking, I only have to get the Olympic standard, but I don’t want to obsess over it. I am training very well and those workouts make me think tomorrow I may be able to race very well. If I set a personal best, I would be the only who has all her bests done in Madrid.”
Asier Martínez, 4th in 60m hurdles at European Indoor Championship:
“Everything has been pretty fast, but so far what has worked for me is calm, keeping a cool head. I do not want to obsess too much with the standard, nor with future prospects. I can secure my World Ranking position by strengthening my score. Reaching the standard would relax me a bit and would take me pressure off, but so far the calm has worked for me, and we want to continue there.”
Sofía Miranda, councilor of Sports at Madrid City Hall:
“All the athletics we are seeing is thanks to the good work that Madrid Association and RFEA are doing. The work that the Community of Madrid and the City Council have done during these two years has been and is exemplary. We are very happy to be here and to have a cast of athletes like those who will join us this weekend.”
Antonio Guerrero, Sports Managing Director at the Community of Madrid:
“The sporting success of the Meeting is guaranteed by the line-up of athletes and the work done by the RFEA, as well as the collaboration between the institutions.”
