Being the best Portuguese ever on trampolines caused “an incredible feeling” for Gabriel Albuquerque, who left “somewhat satisfied” with his debut at the Olympic Games, confident that he is at the same level as the medal winners in Paris2024.
“It's an incredible feeling, even though I know I'm even better than this. But it’s good to know that I’m already holding a record after leaving my first Olympic event, so it’s incredible”, he summed up.
At 18 years old, the youngest of the 73 in the Portuguese Mission to Paris2024 today became the best Portuguese ever on trampolines, finishing fifth in the final held at Arena Bercy, surpassing Nuno Merino's sixth place in Athens 2004 – his predecessor was of the first people he hugged, saying “you’re gone”.
“I just found out. I'm a very ambitious person and I like to dream, so I don't know much, but I feel kind of satisfied,” she said, after scoring 59.740 points in the final.
Albuquerque confessed that he was “supposed to do a more complicated series” in the final, but felt “strung out on the fourth dive”. “That's when I was supposed to do something more difficult and go after a medal, but I couldn't. I had to stick to the simplest series to finish the series, because otherwise it wouldn't be possible”, he explained, having changed the routine “in those thousandths of a second” in which it was on air.
Therefore, and despite having made history for the country, the gymnast guarantees that this “dream debut is not”.
“I may seem convinced, but I'm not at all convinced. I know my capabilities and I know that I'm at the same level as those guys. They, at this moment, were better than me and that’s all, that was it”, he defended.
Belarusian Ivan Litvinovich (63.090), competing under a neutral flag, reclaimed his Olympic title, followed by Chinese Wang Zisai (61.890) and Yan Langyu (60.950), silver and bronze, respectively.
“I already knew that Ivan was capable of making that note, he is very consistent with these high notes. For now, maybe I couldn't beat his grade, but in a few years a guy will continue working, in four years, or in eight years, it doesn't matter. A guy continues to work and no one knows what will happen next”, he noted.
The young Albuquerque admitted to journalists, in the mixed area of Arena Bercy, that it was “difficult to deal with all these emotions running high”, after always being the last to jump.
“Sometimes, a guy gets carried away and it's difficult to do the series well. That wasn't the case, I think that, at this moment, I managed to deal with my emotions very well, but that's it, these three deserve [the medals]”, he pointed out.
The Portuguese gymnast also admitted that it was “quite difficult” to wait so long, but revealed that he prepared himself in training for this.
“I'm already kind of used to this waiting time. During my preparation for these Olympics, during the training itself I would do one pass and then wait there for a certain amount of time before jumping again, because it makes all the difference if a person is warm, does two passes in a row or does one and 15 minutes. then do another one”, he explained.
The gymnast from the Association of Parents and Friends of Gymnastics of Loulé (APAGL) also said that it was “more special” to share this feat with coach João Monteiro, who has accompanied him since he was “four, five years old”.
“It’s simply special to be with him at the Olympic Games, which is the master trampoline event, and I couldn’t choose a better person for this task,” he added.
Gabriel Albuquerque learned the importance of enjoying
Gabriel Albuquerque learned to enjoy these Olympic Games, now wanting to be calm, after having gone through “a very painful process” to make history on the trampolines in Paris2024, on a path without regrets.
“I learned to enjoy it, I think that’s the most important thing. I went through some phases where I wasn't enjoying it, I wasn't enjoying the moments I spent on the trampoline and I couldn't have enjoyed this championship more”, he confessed to journalists, when asked about the lessons he took from his first Games.
Fifth placed in the Paris2024 men's trampoline final, the now best Portuguese ever in the discipline provided one of the best post-competition interviews with the Portuguese delegation in the French capital, impressing with his maturity.
“Now, I’m going to enjoy it. I've already been through a very painful process, now I just want to be alone, calm, nothing more. I don't know [what I'm going to do], it's whatever comes into my head. First, I'm going to see my mother and the people who supported me here, and then, I don't know, I don't know,” she said.
In his Olympic debut, the 18-year-old was particularly restless in the final, admitting that he was nervous.
“It was my first Olympic final and I had to be there forwards, backwards, to the side, to the side, I couldn't be quiet, I couldn't be still”, he said, detailing that he was always listening to rap “even underground […] very aggressive.”
“I'll even tell you something: on the buses to training, here and there, I was always writing lyrics and always writing. An album is coming, for sure. With a friend of mine. We are already working on it”, he joked, before clarifying that he is embarrassed and, therefore, will not share his work, as he does not like hearing himself sing.
Despite only having to take off his headphones to perform the three routines (two in the qualifications and one in the final), the 18-year-old gymnast listened to all the support he received at Arena Bercy.
“Even with these headphones, which have noise cancellation so I couldn't hear anything, I could hear everything. It's incredible, this pavilion is full of people. […] I had never had so many people watch me at the same time. It was out of this world. The first time this happened was probably in Birmingham, in the World Championship, but nothing compared to this”, admitted the fourth-placed player in that World Cup.
Today, and after congratulating Filipa Martins, who was also historic for Portuguese gymnastics in these Games – she was the first to qualify for an Olympic 'all around' final – she reveals that she does not regret anything in her journey, namely having left Almada for Loulé when he was 11 years old.
“This whole process has been, with ups and downs, obviously, but this journey that I have been on has been incredible. I wouldn't change anything I've done so far and, obviously, it was worth changing and I love that city, so I'm going to stay there”, he promised.
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