Rimarys Carrasquel: “I Trusted My Husband and Coach's Advice – And I Won”

At the 2026 Pan American SAMBO Championships, held in Alajuela, Costa Rica, Venezuela's Rimarys Carrasquel claimed gold medals in the women's -72kg category in both Sport and Combat SAMBO.

The athlete had already conquered this peak a year earlier. This time around, though, the Venezuelan competed without her husband and coach, who wasn't able to make it to Costa Rica – but, in her words, his support was felt every step of the way to victory.

“I'm dedicating this result first and foremost to God, because he's always been by my side. Second, to my coach and husband, Luis Adrianza. Even though he wasn't here in person, he was always with me – in my thoughts, in my heart, in his messages. He kept writing to me the whole time: how to structure my work, encouraging me, telling me I was ready, that this was supposed to be my win. And I truly put my trust in the work we'd done all year, and in all the advice he gave me as my coach,” the athlete said.

A little while after her win in the Sport SAMBO final, Carrasquel shared her take on the match and said her opponent had been a complete surprise to her.

“Honestly, I really didn't expect this match. Martina Vazquez from Uruguay, who I fought in the final, is a new opponent for me – it was the first time I'd ever faced her. I was really anxious and had no idea how the bout would unfold. Martina is a high-level athlete, genuinely strong. And I thank God, all the glory belongs to him, because it's thanks to him that I managed to get this win,” the champion shared.

Asked about the toughest moment of the bout, Carrasquel recalled a critical episode with an armlock.

“She had me in an armlock, and in that moment a lot went through my head. I was thinking: I can't give up, or all my preparation will have been for nothing. Then there was a moment where I was close to losing and wanted to tap out to protect my shoulder. But I pushed through, and I'm grateful to God, because it was him who gave me the strength to withstand that armlock,” the athlete admitted.