Sydney, Australia, October 18, 2016 – Mariafe Artacho del Solar is finally back home in Australia and back in pre-season training having made her Olympic debut at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.
The 22-year-old Artacho played alongside Nicole Laird at Rio 2016 and while the pair didn’t progress from the pool stage they have enjoyed a stellar four years in which they won the Asian (AVC) Continental Cup to qualify and the 2014 FIVB U23 Beach Volleyball World Championships.
It means she is heading back onto the court determined to make it to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and to use the next four years to move herself up the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Rankings.
“Hearing my name being called out to the stadium for the very first time at an Olympics Games was special. I had to try and slow myself down a little after I’d run out. Being surrounded by the world’s best athletes is something I’ll never forget and definitely want to do again.”
Artacho packed in plenty during the last four-year cycle to suggest that she will have doubled her experience by the time Tokyo 2020 begins.
At the start of 2014 Artacho teamed up with Laird and they soon showed their class by winning U23 gold in Myslowice, Poland. They began making their mark on the World and Asian Tours and earlier in 2016 they won silver at the Asian Beach Volleyball Championships.
“Despite our result in Rio, I learnt so much about what it takes to be at the top,” Artacho said. “I learnt that I have to back myself in 110%. At times I was doubting myself which led me to not be as aggressive thus letting myself and team down. At The Olympic Games level, you can’t miss those opportunities. I realised quickly that the winners never hold back.
“During my preparation I’d come across Laura Ludwig, German Beach Volleyball Rio Gold medallist, and I could tell how hard she had been working both mentally and physically for Rio. You could see the determination to win gold written all over her face. It was so impressive.”
Before the next Olympics start there are already a number of staging posts on the way to Tokyo 2020, hence the quick return to pre-season.
The next World Championships take place in Vienna in 2017 and there will be another edition in 2019. There is also the chance to show Australian sports fans what beach volleyball is all about when the sport makes its Commonwealth Games debut at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“Right now it’s six days a week of training, two to three sessions a day,” Artacho said. “It’s all about our strength and conditioning at the moment with ball work coming in to play later on.
“I’m super excited for Beach Volleyball to be a sport at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018. It’s the first time and what a place to get it started. It gives me a great half goal to work with towards Tokyo 2020.
“Rio has taught me what it takes to be at the top of your game. I’m ready to take that next step.”