Paris 2024: Daniel Molina’s Para triathlon gold worth 20-year wait
Spaniard claims Paralympic triathlon title two decades after competing in Para swimming at the Athens 2004 Games 03 Sep 2024
Most athletes have four-year plans built around the Paralympic Games, but for Daniel Molina at Paris 2024, his was a dream 20 years in the making. The 49-year-old Spaniard won gold in the Para triathlon PTS3 on Monday morning; his crowning glory to top off a stellar career which started with Para swimming.
But after representing Spain in the 100m backstroke S10 all the way back at Athens 2004, Molina changed focus to incorporate running and cycling in 2011. It was then that he went from competing to winning, becoming a five-time world champion.
Ending two decades of waiting
As his category wasn’t included in the Games programme at either Rio 2016 or Tokyo 2020, his Paralympic desires remained unfulfilled. Until now.
So, after all this time, how did it feel?
“I’m very happy, it is the best day of my career,” he said, beaming.
Molina’s aims for Paris 2024 were different two decades on. This was the goal; unlike Athens, he knew glory wasn’t simply a pipe dream, but a genuine target.
“Twenty years ago, I was just coming to compete, but today I was coming to win. I wanted to enjoy it, to go for it. Of course, I knew I was in with a chance.
"I went in with a very different mindset. It was all about the gold. From the beginning, this was my goal, and I made it happen. This is just the greatest feeling ever.”
The moment his life changed
Molina’s story is an incredible one. He has always been a swimmer; it is clear it is his strength and passion, beginning at age three. That may go some way to explaining his 22-second lead after the first leg in the River Seine, over eventual silver medallist, Germany’s Max Gelhaar.
His life changed after a motorcycling accident when he was 22. There were 14 operations and an eventual amputation of his lower right leg, meaning he had to re-evaluate everything.
Having left the pool aged 13 to play other sports, including tennis and athletics, his accident brought swimming back into his life. And he has never really looked back.
He is not ruling out a return to defend his title at LA 2028, well into his fifties. There is no slowing down for Molina, with the dream of conquering the Ironman race on his bucket list too.
“I’m focused on the World Cup and Europeans which are coming up, hopefully [LA 2028 will be next but I will have to see.
“For now, (the Ironman is not in my planning (laughs).
“Not now, but maybe one day; we have talked about it.”
More still to do
Few people are in a better position to discuss the growth of the Paralympic Movement over the past two decades, and Molina says an increase in coverage is helping, but wants it to be more consistent than simply when the Games come around.
“Twenty years ago, there was not much media coverage, no social media and now there is much more awareness and more journalists here to watch and cover the sport.
“I am proud of the pressure; it is a positive. I wish there was more coverage other than every four years; we must do more. There are other competitions; society thinks we only compete every four years, but this is not reality.”
It is hard to think of a more perfect example of patience and perseverance than Molina. He returned to the Paralympic scene a different man in a different sport and conquered it with tears in his eyes.
