By The Star Staff
Sprinter Gabriella “Gabby” Scott Puig said goodbye to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Wednesday feeling satisfied after achieving two new personal bests and positioning herself as Puerto Rico’s best 400-meter specialist.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Scott Puig, 27, of her Olympic debut. “Now it’s [time for] laughing. I’m very happy and pleased. I’m an Olympic semifinalist.”
Scott Puig clocked 51.22 seconds in the semifinal round to finish 21st in Paris. In addition, she set the national mark of 50.52 seconds in the repechage round, surpassing her previous record of 50.74 seconds clocked in the preliminaries.
Now she will focus on her preparation for the World Track & Field Championships in Tokyo in September 2025 and will evaluate her participation in events such as the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games and the 2027 Pan American Games.
“Track and field is a tough sport, to see the future in depth year by year,” Scott Puig said.
The German-born resident of Orlando, Florida also expressed her desire to work to recruit new talent in Puerto Rico.
“I want to work with the island, the youth,” she said. “I want more athletes in Puerto Rico to be able to represent us at this level. We have talent and we need help. I want to work as an agent or in marketing.”
In other events, Luis Joel Castro Rivera was unable to advance to the high jump final, missing out by three positions with a jump of 2.20 meters. The 12 finalists qualified at 2.24 meters, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions, Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi.
Skateboarder Piñeiro falls short of final
Steven Piñeiro of Toa Baja failed to advance to his second Olympic skateboarding final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, after failing on two of three attempts in the competition held at the Plaza La Concorde on Wednesday.
“Despite everything, I feel proud to represent,” Piñeiro said in a written statement. “I love my country. For me this continues. Regardless, whether I won a medal or not, I will continue. This does not change anything.”
A finalist in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Piñeiro finished in 14th place out of 22 competitors. In the first round, he received 81.54 points, a score that was booed by the public. In his next two attempts, he suffered falls that gave him scores of 10.33 and 19.33, respectively.
“I did not agree with the judging. This teaches us that there is more to learn and grow on,” Piñeiro said. “Now what is missing is the next Olympics for me to do it again.”
The 27-year-old plans to compete at the World Skate Games on Sept. 22 in Italy.
“I’m going to do the vert event and I’m also going to do park,” Piñeiro said.
His coach, Trev Ward, has been a vert skating specialist since the 1980s and 1990s.
Skateboarding made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, where Piñeiro competed alongside Emanuel “Manny” Santiago in the street event.
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