María del Rosario Espinoza once again wrote her name with letters of glory at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. At 28 years old, the woman from Sinaloa won the silver medal in the over 67 kilogram category.
That medal not only reflected his discipline and talent, but also became the last medal that Mexico has achieved in taekwondo to date.
With that achievement, Espinoza completed a unique legacy: gold in Beijing 2008, bronze in London 2012 and silver in Rio 2016.
Legacy and present
Today, retired from the tatami, the legendary athlete observes with hope the present of national taekwondo. Trust that the cycles of glory will return, with an eye toward Los Angeles 2028.
“I always see Mexico as a country that is dangerous, because you don’t know when it will react. Mexican taekwondo has had these ups and downs historically, and today it seeks to be better. I will always wish the best for the national team. Seeing them in a World Championship or in the Olympic Games… Seeing them succeed is very motivating,” he mentioned in an interview with EL UNIVERSAL Deportes.
As a coach
Espinoza, current coach of the Mexican Taekwondo National Team, shared a message for today’s representatives.
“We must not lose the references, since there are children who practice it and, if there are results, there will be more people wanting to join. For all the children who start in the discipline, the most important thing is that they love taekwondo and that they know that in the sport they will find opportunities,” he concluded.
