The Spanish de Vela "out of the game" by confining the Olympics in Santander, against the opinion of the CSD

The High Council of Sports and the Government of Cantabria disadvised the confinement of the Spanish Olympic sailing regatists in the CEAR of Santander, a good work of journalists José Luis Miró and Julio González, who, citing official sources consulted, have revealed this scandal through the newspaper Gaceta Nática.

The requirement that athletes should leave the CEAR was communicated several days ago to the RFEV, but they did not appear to have done any of the cases at the order of the administrations. This is a very serious action of the federation, as in a state of alarm like the one that Spain is living, it has been the federation that has skipped the Royal Decree for the lining, endangering the safety of athletes.

The performance of the Spanish candle, of which Julia Casanueva is the most responsible, against the CSD's criterion is not, much less, a Baladian question. It is about contempt for the highest organ of Spanish sport and its subsidy represents about 60-70% of the federation's income.

GN continues to count that the maximum organization of Spanish sport ensures that "they were told clearly" to those responsible for the centre who were to leave the complex and who, if they did not, was "under their responsibility to the health authorities and the security forces."

The High Council for Sports (CSD) has expressed its dissatisfaction at this unpublished situation and has made it clear that Olympic regatists should be in their homes and not in the facilities of the Royal Spanish Vela Federation (RFEV).

The Government Delegation in Cantabria also confirmed to Gaceta Nautica that the CSD had informed the CEAR in writing that the athletes were to leave the facilities on March 15, pursuant to the decree of the state of alarm by the coronavirus. "Three days later he insisted, but they ignored and expressed their intention to remain there," added this source.

The CSD itself confirmed, through an authorized spokesman, that "were clearly told [to those responsible for the high-performance centre] that they had to leave this place, and that if they did not, it was under their responsibility to the autonomous government, the health authorities and, of course, the State Security Forces and Corps.". The CSD adds that it had to warn the center that a "illegality" by allowing group training and outdoor activities within the complex, something that is prohibited.

The residence of Blime in Madrid, dependent on the CSD, closed its doors after the decision to recruit the population and sent the athletes to pass the confinement with their families. The RFEV technical team, however, decided to move the members of the national team to Santander when most of them were in Mallorca to take part in the Princess Sofia Iberostar Trophy, cancelled two days before the decree of the state of alarm for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The RFEV communication office responded yesterday to a request for information from the newspaper in question, and the federal response was as follows: "One of the factors that was handled when the team was training in Palma, before the decreed confinement, was to bring together all those who wanted to return to Santander, since having been in Palma the previous weeks preparing various competitions, it was understood that the risk had been high as they were with so many athletes of various nationalities living together."

He also said that one of the concentrated athletes "developed small symptoms of disease (mild symptoms compatible with a high respiratory tract infection), but without having a temperature that could be considered a fever and whose picture was resolved in less than 48 hours."

According to the RFEV, whose Olympic team runs Santi López Vázquez, "all athletes are being monitored by the Federation's doctor every day and since they arrived from Palma". In the Santander CEAR 15 people are confined: the male and female teams of classes 470 and 49er, in addition to those of Finn, their respective coaches and a physiotherapist.

From this page it has already been warned that such a confinement could lead to health problems - due to the current coronary pandemic - and for its easy transmission and contagion, so that if a positive one is confirmed, the rest will have to be put immediately in quarantine, and this means that the majority live hundreds of kilometres from Santander.

After this disaster, the main federal officials should resign or the CSD should take appropriate action, due to the gravity and non-compliance with the law at such a critical time in Spain.

Royal Decree 463 / 2020 provides that non-compliance with or resistance to the orders of the competent authorities in the state of alarm shall be punished in accordance with the laws, as set out in article 10 of Organic Law 4 / 1981 of 1 June.

Jaume Soler
Journalist
www.jaumesoler.net