The top downhill figure of El Salvador, Mariana Salazar, and tennis player Marcelo Arevalo will be the big absentees in the cuscatleco team for the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023, to be held in the country from June 23rd to July 8th.
Chelo Arevalo will be absent due to the overlapping dates of the Roland Garros and the Wimbledon, two key events in his desire to classify to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the calendar for the San Salvador 2023 Games, while cyclist Salazar will not compete due to her known health situation.
“As president of INDES and the Organizing Committee, it is a huge sorrow for us and a very sensitive loss for our delegation not to have Marcelo and Mariana, with both we have been in continuous communication. In Marcelo’s case, we spoke with Rafael Arevalo (president of the FST) to find a way to play with the dates to ensure his participation, but, unfortunately, it was not possible, and for the well-being of the athlete, who is seeking to classify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, we had to support him in this hard decision”, explained the president of the Organizing Committee for the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023 (COSSAN2023), Yamil Bukele.
Meanwhile, Dinora Acevedo, general director for COSSAN2023, added that Marcelo needs to score points to stay in the top of the doubles ranking in the Professional Tennis Players Association (ATP) and thus achieve his direct classification to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
On this matter, Marcelo expressed that he would issue a statement in the next few days.
Roland Garros is scheduled from May 28th to June 11th, while Wimbledon will be played from July 3rd to 16th, and tennis at the San Salvador 2023 Games will be played from July 1st to 7th.
Regarding Salazar, in September 2022, she announced in her social networks the diagnosis of breast cancer, but in early January of this year, she confirmed that she had overcome this disease, but will continue with the recovery process.
“Mariana has informed her condition, she is doing well, thank God, we have been in communication with her and her parents, it is a sensitive loss for our team. There were two great medal possibilities, why not think about a gold medal with them, but I think we have to support them and wish them the best and accompany them in their respective situations”, Bukele emphasized.