Page 85 - MG_Magazine 22ED_WEB
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“I am amused by the feminist label. It is true that I defend equa-
                                                              lity: having the same opportunities to compete within our own
                                                              space in this sport. If that's being a feminist, that's fine, but I
                                                              didn't think this was going to define myself in the media. In any
                                                              case, I am very happy because being noticeable is very good for
                                                              PWC racing”. In 2020 the World Cup had to be postponed
                                                              to November and, after many efforts and negotiations, the
                                                              pressure group initiated by Cristina managed to open the
                                                              women's category, although they were not going to recog-
                                                              nise it as an official title. Finally, the championship could not
                                                              be held due to the pandemic and now hopes are placed that


















         Cristina has been competing since her earliest childhood, as
         she would always accompany her father, a Jet Ski pilot, to
         watch him racing. In any case, this was a man's world and her
         parents never let her compete until she discovered, years
         later, that finally there was a female category in the Spanish
         Championship. She signed up immediately and by the time
         that day arrived, she discovered that unfortunately the fe-  this year the GP4 can be held in Sardinia and that not only
         male category had been cancelled. She decided not to retire   the women's category will be maintained, but that it will also
         and raced in the general (men) GP4 category (2017). Since   be recognised as an official title. Which is hard to unders-
         then, she has trained hard at sea and fights on land to give vi-  tand that it won´t be like that.
         sibility to this incompressible handicap in the 21st century.
                                                              “Winning the World Championship has been my dream since I
         "There would be more women in competition if we had a cate-  was little. I learn more in international races and as for budget
         gory of our own". When Cristina came to the sport of PWC   reasons I have to choose the competitions in which I participate,
         racing, there was no female category in runabout (Jet Ski in   in 2019 and 2020 I have left the Spanish Championship out”.
         a sitting position), which is where she competes, but there   Currently Cristina must finance herself, but her struggle to
         was  a  category  in  a  higher  displacement  Jet  Ski,  which  is   open a female niche in the great Jet Ski competitions is gi-
         driven standing up and where physical superiority is more   ving her a lot of media visibility, something that will surely
         evident. From the beginning her struggle has been to get a   help to promote this sport globally.
         female category to be opened in runabout, because up to
         now women wanting to compete in this category have to do
         so against men and this situation translates to many women
         dropping out.

         2019 was very good for Cristina: European champion and
         world runner-up. In 2020  she suffered  the effects of the
         pandemic. There was just the celebration of the European
         Championship and she was runner-up. She suffered the lack
         of rigorous training, for the  mobility restrictions in Spain –
         also the sport practices– were tougher than in other coun-
         tries and this created inequalities when competing. In 2021
         her goal is to win the World Championship which, if all goes
         well, will take place in Sardinia in June.
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