Itzamary González and Diego Villalobos during their mixed free duet competition at the 2023 Central American Games.
Each performance achieved by the artistic swimming delegation represents Ana Guevara, the highest commissioner of Mexican sport. The swimmers returned as champions from the World Championships last May despite not receiving public funding since January. They dedicated themselves to partying, but the press made it clear that their performance was without government support during this period. Guevara went into war mode.
“They are liars because they have trainers, they eat, they sleep, they were supported in everything,” he began in an interview with W Radio. “Let them sell panties, swimsuits, Avon or Tupperware for me… But they and their trainers owe it.” “We gave them 40 million pesos and they didn’t justify it,” he added. The athletes avoided confrontation but made it clear that the Carlos Slim Foundation was the one supporting them.
The Mexican Artistic Swimming Federation also appealed the National Physical Culture and Sport Commission (Conade)’s decision to abolish its athletic scholarships. The Mexican judiciary twice sided with her and forced her to return the money. This Tuesday he challenged the assessment, although he still has to pay.
Bureaucratic chaos aside, swimmers have shone at the Central American Games. You won eight. Mexico has won gold for Nuria Diosdado and Joana Jiménez in technical duet and free duet, free solo with Diosdado and this Tuesday gold in mixed free duet with Itzamary González and Diego Villalobos. The silver medals went to Joana Jiménez alone, another in a mixed technical duet between González and Villalobos. The team of eight swimmers took silver in the technical competitions and this Tuesday’s acrobatic test. Both second places were very close (by less than a point) as the jury rated the representatives of Colombia better.
Overall: four golds, four silvers, a good result in a year where swimmers had to juggle to settle the bill of the month, which is not the case in sporting powers like the US or China. The sport ends on Wednesday in San Salvador with the final test of the nine-swimmer free team.
Subscribe here Subscribe to the EL PAÍS México newsletter and receive all the important information about current events in this country