Alberto Mestre finished fourth in his qualifying heat and called for the unity of the inhabitants of Venezuela

Alberto Mestre sent a message of unity to Venezuelans / Photos: COV Press

Venezuelan swimmer Alberto Mestre was unlucky on Tuesday at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games swimming tournament, as he finished fourth in the sixth qualifying heat of the 100-meter (m) freestyle and was unable to reach the semifinals.

The debutant athlete, brother of Alfonso Mestre who is also present at the universal event, took a time of 49 seconds and 51 hundredths (49:51) to complete the course in a race in which the Aruban Mikel Schreuders won (48.84). He was followed by Luxembourger Ralph Daleiden (49.12) and the Polish Jakub Majerski (49.44).

Alberto Mestre (third from left to right) shared with his colleagues from the Venezuelan delegation

With the time achieved in the speed event, held at La Defense Arena, the Creole finished in 37th position in the general classification, after completing the 10 preliminary series.

Message from the athlete

After finishing his participation in the Parisian water sports center, Alfonso Mestre spoke with the reporting team of Claro Sports, an international television network, and sent a message to Venezuelans, especially those who have been protesting in the streets of the country since Monday, because they are not satisfied with the results of Sunday’s presidential elections, in which the National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Nicolás Maduro the winner.

“Here I am, representing the people of Venezuela. I hope that I can bring them joy in the times we find ourselves in,” said the athlete, who called for national unity amid the climate of political tension.

“Let’s move forward together, all Venezuelans living in the country and in other corners of the world,” he concluded.

Valencia / Joseph Ñambre