Judgment Day

Well, that's it...

If the first day of competition was a bad omen of what was to come, the last day was more or less a preview of the disaster.

Nadia Ferrerira lost her fight against the Moroccan competitor, who I honestly thought was technically more or less similar to the Mexican. The Moroccan, who didn't really strike me as particularly strong during the first bout, managed to advance to the quarterfinals. Nadia won medals at the Canadian Open and the Rio Open this year, which meant absolutely nothing on the world stage, but it also confirms to me, and should confirm to them as well, that they have been living in a bubble.

The media hype, social media, and even feedback from inexperienced coaches who live in the same bubble have tried to make us believe (well, you guys, because I've been saying for years that things aren't right) that Mexican taekwondo is awesome and that they'll surely come up with some excuse to justify Mexico's biggest failure in history at a world championship... And I hope that the failure of the stunt is as big as the one here in Wuxi.

History... Pause for a moment to reflect on that word: HISTORY, the worst failure in HISTORY.

Rubén Nava became the last hope, and there was a moment when I truly believed he could do it. He was the only Mexican to win two bouts: against an African and an Asian opponent, only to then lose to an athlete from the same Pan American region, which makes it all the more sad.

Chile, Haiti, Costa Rica, and Ecuador achieved better results with fewer players because, although none of them won a medal, they all reached the quarterfinals. None of them had a full team, not even close. When it comes to the United States, we are in dire straits, and if we look at Brazil, they are light years ahead of us.

I have always said that it is a mistake to wait for poor results to show that change is needed or that things are going badly, because with the popularity of this sport in Mexico, I never imagined that I would live to see something like what happened. The fact that they did not even reach the quarterfinals is regrettable on a level that is difficult for me to comprehend. Even during Mexico's worst results in the history of the World Championships, there had been fifth places: in Gyeongju (the previous worst result), which is the only occasion where no medals were won, there were three fifth places; in Chelyabinsk, where the bronze medal was won on the last day, there had also been three fifth places previously; in Garmisch, where the silver medal was won on the last day, there were also at least three fifth places.

This is a tragedy beyond anything anyone can remember, has ever existed, or anyone has ever had to live through. In an ideal world, and if there were people of integrity in charge, the ENTIRE coaching staff would salute, turn around, and walk away without looking back. As for apologizing, I would leave that tucked away in the drawer of my wildest fantasies, along with the TV and soap opera photos of Michelle Vieth.

There is no need to sugarcoat this result. Those responsible have names and surnames; we know who they are, but we also know that they couldn't care less. They have never shown their faces, and they are not about to start now.

But this is nothing new; it has been this way for years. Do you know what this means? Yes, what no one dares to say: the next ones responsible are the coaches. If none of the 16 athletes had any business being on this stage, then none of the coaches, personal trainers, Korean companions, or chair applauders should be here, nor should they be leading a team.

And you know what else? It's politically incorrect to blame athletes, but they bear their share of responsibility too. Stay at home making videos and seeking sympathy on social media for how unfair life is, or posting so that people will continue to tell you how great you are and how inspiring you are, because here, in the real world, in senior taekwondo, in real sport, you have no place... Or did you think that by training as you did, things could be different? You live in Narnia, so stay there... Or start looking for ways to change things, but leave behind that romantic nonsense about doing it for honor, for your country, for your flag, for your family, because in the end, none of that pays and none of that gets in the fight and takes the blows. Find a way to change things for yourselves, because neither the managers, nor your coaches, or at least these coaches, are going to do it, and worst of all, it's not because they don't want to, but because they can't.

Can you? Do you want to?

Only a fool believes that something will change by doing the same things.

I repeat and reiterate: we must not sugarcoat this result. It is not only bad, it is the worst. I would like to say that we have hit rock bottom with this event, but life has taught me that you can always, invariably, go further down.

But hey, what do I know...

Chava P.