In the past three years, Victoria Grenni has established herself as one of the athletes from the Salvadoran Weightlifting Federation that has great projection. Representing the country at the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023 is an exciting and encouraging challenge for the former pentathlon athlete.
To Vicky, who is part of the INDES Effort & Glory Program, the San Salvador 2023 Games will be her first competition of the Olympic Cycle as a weightlifting athlete, and one of the most important challenges of this year.
“We know that the competition is tough, the Caribbean Countries dominate weightlifting in this category, along with Venezuela and Colombia. But we will try to get the best results and improve on personal marks”, said the athlete competing in the 55 kg category.
Prior to the Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador 2023, Vicky is planning to enter a competition in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, between the end of March and early April.
“I’ve never been in an international weightlifting competition here in El Salvador, and it’s really exciting because my family and friends are coming to see me, it motivates me”, Vicky said.
The 21-year-old athlete has Argentinian roots because of her father, Héctor Grenni, a former amateur football player, and Salvadoran roots from her mother, Victoria Alvarado, who practiced athletics.
“I have the two nationalities, but I lived in El Salvador until I was 17 years old. When I finished high school and started going to the university, I moved to Argentina; I come and go constantly”, she mentioned.
Victoria has three years as a weightlifting athlete and seven as a pentathlon athlete, achieving a Central American record in the latter in 2018. She also practiced athletics, and represented the country in long jump and 4×100 relays.
“I practiced athletics from 11 to 18 years old, but I am about to begin my third year in weightlifting. I started this because of a friend and teammate, Kevin Linares, who invited me to practice this sport”, she recalled.
In athletics, Vicky trained with Sandra Valiente, who was a national weightlifting champion. She recalled that she also encouraged her to practice weightlifting.
“One day, I decided to listen to hear, and I came for some trials at the Salvadoran Weightlifting Federation, and I did great. It was a different environment because it is practiced indoors, but it’s so nice, and the comradeship is visible”, said Grenni, who receives support from national coach Roberto Guerra.
Regarding the marks, the athlete said that she needs 85 kg in snatch, and 105 in jerk to earn a place in the podium at the San Salvador 2023 Games.
Grenni used to train twice a day at Fedepesas since early February, and explained that she is following a training plan by Román Grosito, the trainer of the Argentinian national team, and first-line specialist in strength training with whom she did a training camp in San Jorge during January.
“He is now at a gathering in Barcelona with Olympic Solidarity, which is why I came to do a training camp with the Salvadoran team, but it’s Román who follows up on me”, she explained.
In 2021, Victoria earned the silver medal in the 59 kg category of the Central American Weightlifting Championship that was held in Guatemala; and in 2022, the Salvadoran reached the 16th spot in the ranking of the International Weightlifting Federation after her participation in the 55 kg category of the World Championship of this discipline.
She also has the national records for the snatch and jerk with 96 and 79 kg respectively in the 55 kg category. In academics, Grenni is coursing her third year of the Bachelor of Food at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, in Argentina. “The university is helping me to receive my classes virtually or in-person whenever necessary, that’s how I plan my training”, she remarked.