It was with great pleasure that we learned of the superb performance of Francisca Crovetto, a former student of the FIFA/CIES International University Network Programme organised in Chile by the Universidad Santo Tomás with the support of the Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (ANFP).
The 34-year-old trap shooting champion climbed to the top step of the podium in Paris, giving Chile a new gold medal after 20 years of waiting. In addition, she is the first Chilean woman to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport, which gives even more significance to her magnificent performance.
Francisca, who completed the FIFA/CIES International Programme in 2017, started shooting regularly at the age of 13. She then went on to have a brilliant international career, participating at various championships and World Cups, as well as the Olympic Games in London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020) where she was flagbearer along with Marco Grimalt, a beach volleyball player. She recently won gold at the Bolivarian Games in Santa Marta (Colombia) in 2017 and the Pan American Games Santiago 2023.
Deeply moved, Francisca thanked her team and her family for their unwavering support before adding, "You have to build your dreams. Nothing is the result of chance. This is the message I want to give to Chile."
Congratulations to this exceptional athlete. We are proud of her.