Spanish rider Ana Carrasco made history by becoming the first woman to win a motorcycling world championship, after taking the title in the Superbike Supersport 300 category by a single point at the French Magny-Cours circuit.
The 21-year-old Spanish girl, originally from Murcia (southeast), suffered to win the championship, since she started from 25th position on the starting grid and had to advance with her Kawasaki to 13th place at the finish line to secure the points that needed to win the championship.
Carrasco won the title by a single point ahead of his compatriot Mika Pérez, who lost the race and the title at the last corner, when he was overtaken by Daniel Valle.
“It’s amazing for me to achieve this,” said this ex-law student with excitement.
“We have worked hard to be here. He didn’t know he had won until the lap of honor. I tried to look at a television camera but I didn’t see anything. I only realized that I had won when I went through Turn 5 and asked the spectators if I was the champion, ”she recounted.
Carrasco dedicated the triumph to the Mallorcan pilot Luis Salom, who died at the Circuit de Catalunya in 2016 at the age of 24.
«The day we lost it, I promised to dedicate my first title to it. Now I am happy to reach the goal, but I still do not realize what it means to be the first woman in history to be a world champion. I think that in a few days I will be more aware of it, “he said.
Finnish Nita Korhonen, director of the Women’s Commission of the International Motorcycling Federation, stressed that “it is absolutely great to have a woman win a motorcycling world championship.”
“Ana has shown that winning a title at this level does not depend on gender, but on talent,” he added. AFP