Hundreds of spectators cheer up the athletes in an Olympiad in which sweat and slyness reign. With a "prepau, listu ... YA", the incombustible speaker grants the go-ahead for an individual test: that of load with "el sábanu". You have to "destroy" the grass with the meadows, press it on a previously stretched cloth, knot, tighten so that the "part" does not fall, and run with the weight "at the cost." Gestures of athletic rage to give a whole return to the huertona, about 150 meters.
In addition to this test, one of the most showy of the tournament, they also happen collective races of sacks and madreñes. Do not abuse the Nike, or the Adidas. In the Olympic equivalent of the marathon, the climb to Cuetu GrandeOn a tough hill, with paths overgrown with vegetation and a steep incline, the contestants don their practical hiking boots. Ahead lies a narrow, 6-kilometer course. The starting gun fires, and the participants set off, testing their strength against the small summit that rises before them.
And while the mountain marathon is underway, in the Olympic stadium the bodies of those who will make up one of the teams are being weighed. the rope shotThe total weight cannot exceed 520 kilos. The weighing is meticulous and patient.
Meanwhile, cheerleaders and entertainers take to the court to liven up the breaks. They're not majorettes, no, they're folk groups, castanet in hand and traditional pirouettes. The long distance runners are already starting to descend from the Cuetu and the central stage for the pulsu championshipThe one who demonstrates the most skill, tense biceps, and golden wrists always wins, and who, previously, holds the title of favorite in the qualifying rounds.
Shortly before, the marathon runners arrive. José Manuel Martínez, from Ixena, has finished ahead of everyone on more than one occasion and has already made Olympic history. The "supersonic laborer," a nickname he receives due to his work and his boundless dedication, usually sets a record time. All the runners arrive exhausted, their legs and arms aching. A hellish experience in the Asturian jungle.
The rope shot It already starts. The judges give the go-ahead to the total weight of the teams. Several qualifying tests are required to reach the grand final. The legs act as a brake and the executing arms pull the rope to beat other strong arms. The result of so much tug of war is a deep channel that is inscribed in the field as a product of a plow of feet.
It's the turn of the test of "cabruñu", the most Asturian of all, competition that serves as an extra shot to a long day of mowing. A good number of veteran contestants, hammer in hand, with impassive gesture and eyes lost in the edge of the scythes, usually use half an hour, maximum time foreseen by the organization to make a perfect finish. The edge quality is the basic criterion for the judges. The hammer gets wet in the water to polish the metal with subtlety. The rhythmic hits resound with ancestral rhythm in the Olympic stadium.
The world continues with horse races to catch the tiny hoop and ribbon. In the previous days, part of the games program had already been developed: children's championship of traditional games, bowling tournament, parade of decorated country cars and election of the "zagala" and the "zagala" of the festivities. The finishing touch with a pilgrimage and festival.
Athletes and spectators alike experienced a memorable event, one for the region's Olympic history. The bar is being raised ever higher.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
