2009 SU Update: Olympic Champion Arrives in Belgrade

FISU EC Member Pedro Dias welcomes Nelson Évora and his coach

With a number of competitions still in the starting blocks, a lot of athletes keep arriving in Belgrade. Today, July 4th, FISU Media camped at the gate of the Belgrade Airport to await the arrival of one of the most anticipated stars of this 25th Universiade, i.e. Nelson Évora, the 2008 Olympic Champion in triple jump.

Nelson landed in Belgrade from Paris with a delay of 50 minutes, but when he walked through the entry gate together with his coach João Ganço they were met by Officials of the Portuguese delegation, i.e. the Head of Delegation Duarte Lopes and Pedro Dias, the Portuguese FISU Executive Committee member while the attaché of the Portuguese delegation gave him his temporary accreditation. Chef de Mission Lopes welcomed him and wished him good luck for the competitions. ‘The same words I said to all the other athletes of the Portuguese delegation’, the HoD told FISU Media.

FISU Media was one of the first here in Belgrade to ask the Olympic Champion to comment on his participation at the Universiade. ‘I decided to participate in the Universiade because I’m still a student and this is the first time my agenda allows me to take part in this World Student Sport event. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I also came here to show the world that you can be a high-level athlete and be a university student at the same time’, Évora told FISU Media. When asked the question if he will encounter any competition in the triple jump, Nelson was quite clear. ‘Where ever I go to compete, I have a lot of respect for my opponents. At these high level meetings there are a lot of good triple jumpers so the competition is always fierce. I’m looking forward to it’, the Olympian added.

Portuguese and Serbian media were waiting in line to interview this likable athlete. Tomorrow at 12h00 FADU, the Portuguese University Sports Federation, will host a press conference with Nelson Évora and his coach in the MPC.

‘Nelson is a great guy’, Pedro Dias said to FISU Media. ‘He’s the perfect example of the student-athlete. The living proof that elite sport and studying can be combined and be successful.’

Belgian Athletics Coach Luc Van Maldegem is waiting for his Olympic Medallist to arriveIn the meanwhile, the athletics coach of the Belgian delegation is awaiting his athletes who will arrive in the following days. Coach Luc Van Maldegem is thrilled that after winning a bronze medal in Bangkok (2007 SU), Olympian silver medallist Hannah Mariën (4x100m – Beijing) will be back here in Belgrade looking to better her medal haul. ‘The fact that Hannah won bronze in Bangkok (right afterwards she won a bronze at the IAAF Worlds in Osaka) will definitely push her to better her performance here in Belgrade. Another athlete I have high hopes for is javelin thrower Melissa Dupré, who right now belongs to the sub-top but will hopefully peak towards London 2012, and the Belgrade Universiade has to put her on track for that performance’, Van Maldegem added.