Mariana Machado surprised by Del Buono's final sprint: «I wasn't expecting... She came quite strong»

The Portuguese athlete Mariana Machado finished in second place in the 10,000 meters at the Mediterranean Games. The race was won by Del Buono, who surprised the Portuguese with an unexpected final sprint. Mariana revealed that she wasn't expecting this burst from her opponent, describing it as "quite strong" at the decisive moment of the race. This was a long-distance race where strategy and energy reserve at the end made the difference between the athletes. The Portuguese participation in this 10,000-meter event was thus marked by this close battle in the final sprint, with Mariana Machado securing the silver medal for Portugal.