Osman Murillo, 27, became the seventh Costa Rican to qualify for the upcoming 2012 Olympics Games in London.
Murillo discovered Wednesday morning on the website of the International Judo Federation that his ranking qualified him for a spot in the upcoming summer games, which begin July 27.
“When I was confirmed I started to cry,” Murillo told the daily La Nación. “It’s something I’ve wanted since I was 6 years old. I thought about my family, my dad is my coach, and all I had to leave out. We have made great strides economically and emotionally.”
Murillo competes in the 73 kilogram weight class, where he is ranked 267th in the world. The Tico will train for four weeks in Costa Rica before going to Europe for six months of preparation for the Olympics.
Other national athletes who have qualified for the Olympics are triathlete Leonardo Chacón, marathon runners Gabriela Traña and César Lizano, Nery Brenes for the 400 meter race, Heiner Oviedo for Taekwondo and Andrey Amador in men’s road cycling.
