Every corner of Lanzarote is going out of its way to give athlete José Carlos Hernández the welcome he deserves. The first signs of affection came on Monday afternoon, when dozens of people came to the airport to welcome the Olympic athlete from Lanzarote. The welcomes continued on Tuesday morning when the workers of the Sands Beach Resort, the runner's main sponsor, welcomed José Carlos Hernández like a hero.
Wearing the Spanish tracksuit, which caused so much controversy in the days leading up to the Olympic Games, José Carlos Hernández arrived at the Sands Beach Resort in Costa Teguise. There, about thirty workers were waiting for him at the entrance of the tourist complex to welcome him with applause. A reception that moved José Carlos and he was quick to thank all the support they have given him over the last few months.
"We are Olympians", José Carlos Hernández began his press conference so forcefully. The athlete from Lanzarote explained that "to be an Olympian you have to cross the finish line of the event in which you participate", an objective he achieved last Sunday when he finished the marathon in 34th place overall. José Carlos said he felt "proud" of what he had achieved at the London Olympic Games.
"The Olympic experience has been magnificent", he summarised his first participation in an Olympic Games. He says that one of the things that impressed him the most was being in the Olympic Stadium and assures that the first time he entered it was "impressive". "I sat down, and thought that I wasn't watching it on TV, but that I was part of it", were the words that summarised his visit to the stadium.
José Carlos Hernández explained that the British have embraced the Olympic Games and more than a million people enjoyed the marathon event. "It was shocking, you were deafened by the amount of people cheering in the streets and you heard shouts of encouragement in every corner of the circuit", he explained.
Thirty-fourth position in the London Marathon
The athlete from Lanzarote was "proud" of the position in which he crossed the finish line. "The race didn't go one hundred percent, as I had problems from kilometre 18 onwards", argued José Carlos, who explained that he began to feel "heavy legs". As a solution he had to hydrate as much as he could and says that "in the last nine kilometres I gave it my all, overtaking quite a few people".
"All the athletes lost three or four minutes compared to their personal best", argued José Carlos and assured that this was due to the fact that "the circuit was a leg-breaker, with changes of pace and the weather didn't help".
World Athletics Championships, his next objective
José Carlos Hernández will take several weeks of holiday to recover from the effort he has had to make in recent months and above all to enjoy his family and his newborn son. "It has been a very hard year, in which we have participated in three marathons", was the summary of the season he has had to face.
The World Athletics Championships, which will be held from 10 to 18 August 2013 in Russia, is one of the objectives that José Carlos Hernández has in mind. It will be a test in which five Spanish athletes will participate and José Carlos hopes to be one of those chosen. He will meet with his coach Juan Carlos Granado and plan the season. In April 2013 he could try his luck in a new marathon event, and in which he will fight to obtain the minimum mark to attend the World Athletics Championships.
"The Olympic dream is over and a four-year period begins", commented José Carlos at the press conference and added that "I hope I can be at the Rio 2016 Games and exchange British tea for Brazilian caipirinha". He commented that "I hope my body and enthusiasm last, to fight to be at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games".
Grateful for the support
José Carlos Hernández thanked the numerous expressions of support received in recent days, especially those that have reached him through social networks. He also thanked the support of his sponsors, without whom the adventure of participating in an Olympic Games would have been impossible. And he assured that his participation in the London Olympic Games is "a grain of history for Lanzarote".
