Didac Salas: “Not going to the European Championship is subjective and arbitrary discrimination”

The Catalan pole vaulter Didac Salasnot included in the list of those summoned by Royal Spanish Athletics Federation for him Munich Europeanwhich will take place from August 15 to 21, assured EFE that the absence of the continental event “despite the classification by ranking implies subjective and arbitrary discrimination.”

The Catalan athlete, who accredited a mark of 5.55 meters this season, said that his exclusion from the list was “a surprise because he is number 22 in the World Ranking, four places above the 26 qualifying places.”

“I really counted on being inside. Everyone, even the doctors and physiotherapists of the federation, thought so. I found out on Tuesday through social networks. I called to ask for an explanation because I didn’t understand why they were saying that ‘I don’t have European level if I was classified, with a score of 5.55, that I was also injured throughout the season,” he declared.

“I have revalidated the title of champion of Spain and I became the Ibero-American champion. Nothing is missing. In a state of injury, I lived the whole season, I knew them, coming to perform in very bad conditions in Iberoamerican Championship“, he admitted.

“They did not give me any explanation, nor did they tell me that we should make another mark. There was no other objective criteria than the classification because in the European ranking I entered with four places of slack, who has 26. don’t trust an athlete with years of experience,” he said.

“The strong thing is that I was injured all the time, to their knowledge, and in this federation I had cortisone infiltrations, which harm the body, with the only common goal of RFEA, the coach and I to reach the European. The third infiltration was just a week ago. The surgeon who performed it himself told us that it was not recommended but, given the exception for sporting reasons, he would do it,” he said.

“What I saw was that the arguments were not solid, not objective. Raul Plated (RFEA president) stands out saying that they are technical decisions made by others who are not him,” said Didac Salas, who admitted that his “feeling is that this decision is irreversible.”

“Everything is subjective, by hand, because of a criterion they mark to maximize the number of medals and finalists. A criterion that is not valid in a sport as heterogeneous as athletics where each discipline is different- different because of its particularities. . they set goals that are measurable and should only be shown to those who do not know athletics. They are unfairly leaving us out,” he argued.

Some athletes are like fence jumpers asier martinez or the walker Diego García Carrera used these days social networks to criticize the list made by Jose Peiro.

“I feel that for once we are not alone. No one wins with this type of decision and that is why we are united. As athletes, we depend on the financial aid we receive from the federation, which is increasingly difficult to obtain. , and we hope to get them in the international championships. Now we are deprived of the ability to get those aids,” he said.

“I was denied the right to go to Mediterranean Games being the first in the ranking to say that it is committed to making room for young people. If there are two places, you can go to both. They only decided on one thing. That is denying them the possibility to compete, achieve a medal and get an economic value,” he stressed.

“We have exploited all of them, not only those affected, but others out of solidarity. This has been happening for a long time and will continue to happen. This is subjective and arbitrary discrimination. Two sponsors of the federation, Iberdrola and Joma, support equality and inclusion. They are their values ​​and for me it is very hypocritical that sponsors with these values ​​see this. This discrimination is an insult,” he concluded.