Olympic weightlifter Hector Curiel

• 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy Weightlifting. Neth. Antilles.
• 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokio, Japan Weightlifting. Neth. Antilles.

When did you got involved with weightlifting?  

In 1955 I started with weightlifting. Before that, I was a boxer but my parents didn’t like that very much. I looked for another sport to practice. The weightlifters from the gym thought that I was too tiny to become a professional weightlifter. Nobody believed in me but I told them, that I could do it. I showed them that I could lift 176 pound (80 kg) with Clean & Press, and I did it! One week later I was part of the weightlifters team and we went to the Pan American Games in Mexico.

What were your first results?

During that first competition, in Mexico, I became last. I was so disappointed that I promised myself that I will never again end up last. I kept my promise and I started to win, and many times I even became the Champion.
I still have a record in my name.  Only 3 months after I started to practice weightlifting I became the champion of Curaçao and The Antilles in the weight category of 56 Kg.

In how many games did you participate?
I participated in a total of 73 games in 7 different countries.
I became a Champion 40 times and I got; 8 times Gold, 4 times Silver and 2 times Bronze.

Who was your coach?

Marcel Betrian was my trainer, father, grandfather basically he was everything to me.  He had been a coach in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, for a while. He always told me that I was the most talented one of all the people that he had trained. At my games, he was always very nervous, more than I was. I learned how to stay calm and focused due to the yoga classes I followed.

What was your worst experience in your sportscareer?,

During one of my first competitions I had to compete with a man from Puerto Rico.  At one point in the game he could not push up a certain amount of kilos, so he quit. I just had to take on 2,5 kg extra, in order to win, but I was stubborn and took 5 kg extra (which I had trained for). But I could not push the total wait up, and so the other man won the game. I was very upset and angry with myself and promised myself that I will never be stubborn again!

What was your greatest experience?

That was the first time that I could attend to the Olympic games. And the fact that every year of my professional career I became champion of Curaçao and The Antillean weightlifting games.

What are your current daily activities?
In 1975 I stopped being a professional weightlifter. After that I became a trainer at Sedreko, but unfortunately there are not a lot of people who want to be a weightlifter. Everybody wants to become a millionaire by playing baseball. With weightlifting you don’t earn a lot of money.

What is your advice for a  future participant in the Olympics?

Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it, believe in yourself and do it!!!

Ps.

1. Hector Curiel got a golden medal of the “Orde van Oranje Nassau”.
2. There are a street and a gym named after Hector Curiel.

Nase dia 02 di Novèmber di aña 1936

Kon (na ki edat) a kuminsá ku deporte

Hector a kuminsá ku e deporte di hisamentu di peso na aña 1955. Pero promé ku esei Hector tabata un bòksdó i su mayornan no tabata ke pa e práktika e deporte di bòkseo. Ta einan Hector a disidí di buska otro deporte pa hasi. E hisadónan di peso ku tabata praktiká e deporte aki a remarká ku Hector tabata muchu delegá i kòrtiku pa bira un hisadó di peso profeshonal. Niun hende no tabata kere den dje, pero Hector a bisa nan ku e por hasi esaki. Hector a mustra nan ku e por hisa 176 liber (80kg) ku estilo ‘Clean & Press’, i e la hasié tambe! Un siman despues Hector Curiel tabata parti di e ekipo ku a bai kompetí na weganan Panamerikano ku a tuma lugá na Méhiko.

Kua tabata logronan di mas grandi den deporte

E logronan di mas grandi ta e echo di por a biaha pa mas di 73 pais unda e por a kompetí i di tabata kampion na 40 okashon, e la gana 8 medaya di oro, 4 medaya di plata i 2 di bròns

Kua tabata e entrenadó, deportista i o dirigente ku mas impakto

Marcel Betrian ta e persona sumamente importante den bida di Hector Curiel. Marcel tabata entrenadó, coach, tata, amigu i un ruman. Marcel tabata coach na Apeldoorn Hulanda i semper a remarká na Hector ku Hector ta e mihó talento ku e a yega di trein. Durante di kompetensia semper Marcel tabata mas nèrvioso ku e propio Hector. Hector a siña dominá su nèrvio danki na lèsnan di yoga ku e tabata tuma.

Kua tabata e desepshon di mas grandi den deporte

Tabata durante di un kompetensia kaminda Hector tabata kompitiendo kontra di un Puertorikeño. Na dado momentu e kontrinkante di Hector no por a hisa un kantidat di peso den su ultimo intento pa e hisa esaki. Hector ku tabatin un oportunidat mas di hisa, tabatin ku agregá únikamente 2,5 kilo mas riba e peso ku e mester a hisa, pa e gana e kompetensia. Pero Hector ku tabata hopi kabesura a pretendé di hisa 5 kilo èkstra (Kual e la trein pe tambe). Lamentablemente Hector no por a hisa e peso aki i su kontrinkante a gana tòg. Hector a rabia masha hopi ku su mes i a primintí su mes ku nunka mas lo e hasi kos di kabesura!

Kua tabata e satisfakshon di mas grandi den deporte

E satisfakshon di mas grandi ta e echo di por a partisipá na dos olimpiada kual tabata na 1960 na weganan olímpiko di Roma i na 1964 na weganan olímpiko di Tokyo, Hapon. Aparte di a biaha kasi rònt mundu ku e deporte di hisamentu di peso.

Un konseho na nos hubentut pa loke ta deporte

Hasi bo deporte ku dedikashon i tende di bo entrenadó. Hasi deporte pasobra deporte ta bon pa salu.