Sebastián Rodríguez Veloso

Sebastián Rodríguez
Personal information
Full name Sebastián Rodríguez Veloso
Nationality Spanish
Born (1957-02-27) 27 February 1957
Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle

Sebastián Rodríguez Veloso (Spanish pronunciation: [seβasˈtjan roˈðɾiɣeθ]; born on 27 February 1957) is a Spanish Paralympic swimmer. He has competed at four Paralympic Games winning fifteen medals: eight gold, four silver and three bronze. His attendance at the Games was controversial after it was revealed that he had been jailed for bomb attacks while a member of First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups (GRAPO).

Early life and criminal activities

Rodríguez was born in Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain on 27 February 1957.[1][2] He is nicknamed Chano.[3]

In the 1980s he was a member of the Spanish terrorist organisation First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups (Spanish: Grupos de Resistencia Antifascista Primero de Octubre, GRAPO).[4][5] In 1984, at the age of 26, he was jailed for 84 years for his role in the murder of Seville business leader Rafael Padura and a series of bomb attacks.[2][4][6]

In 1990 while in prison he went on hunger strike for 432 days, leaving his health permanently damaged and resulting in him losing the use of his legs.[2][4][6][7] He was released on parole from prison in 1994 under a Spanish law which says that the seriously ill should not be jailed, and in 2007 he was pardoned by the Spanish Government.[2][4][6]

Swimming

Rodríguez is an S5 swimmer.[8] In his swimming career, he has earned over 20 total medals.[6] His training base is Vigo.[3]

In 2010, Rodrígues competed at the Tenerife International Open.[9] Rodríguez competed at the 2010 Adapted Swimming World Championship in the Netherlands. In advance of the competition, he attended a swimming camp with the national team that was part of the Paralympic High Performance Program (HARP Program).[10] He competed at the 2011 IPC European Swimming Championships in Berlin, Germany. He earned a gold medal. He almost finished first in the 4x50 meter freestyle relay with teammates Richard Oribe, Alvaro Bayona and Jordi Gordillo but a bad touch led to disqualification.[11][12][13] He competed at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships.[3][14][15]

Paralympics

Rodríguez first competed at the Paralympics at the 2000 Sydney Games. He took part having told Spanish officials that he lost his legs in a traffic accident.[7] He won five gold medals at the Games and set four new world records.[5] Three of his golds came in individual freestyle events in the S5 classification, as he set world records in the 50 metres,[16] 100 metres[17] and 200 metres.[18] He also won gold medals as part of the Spanish relay teams in the 4×50 m freestyle 20 pts and the 4×50 m medley 20 pts, setting a new world record in the freestyle relay.[19][20] The truth about how he came to be disabled was revealed by a Spanish newspaper during the Games, which led to calls for him to return his medals;[2] however, his participation was backed by politicians from his home town.[5]

At the 2004 Summer Paralympics held in Athens, Greece, Rodriguez won a further three gold medals. He successfully defended his titles in the 50 m, 100 m and 200 m freestyle events, setting new world records in the final of each event.[21][22][23]

In 2008 he competed in his third Paralympics at the Beijing Games in China. Rodríguez won four medals: silvers in the 200 m freestyle and the 4×50 m freestyle 20 pts,[24][25] and bronze medals in the 50 m freestyle and the 4×50 m medley relay 20 pts.[26][27][28]

His fourth Paralympic appearance came at the 2012 Games in London, United Kingdom. He won three medals at the Games;[1][2][6] silvers in the 50 m freestyle and 200 m freestyle,[7] and a bronze in the 100 m.[29][30][31]

References

  1. 1 2 "Sebastian Rodriguez". The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gabino, Rosario (8 September 2012). "Spanish swimmer Sebastian Rodriguez triumphs over dark past". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "Deportes : La extremeña Isabel Yinghua Hernández competirá en el Campeonato del Mundo de Natación Paralímpica" (in Spanish). Spain: Extremaduradehoy.com. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Addley, Esther (30 August 2012). "Paralympics 2012: Spanish swimmer leaves violent past for glory in the pool". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "Spain backs controversial Paralympic hero". BBC News. 1 September 2000. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Los diez indultos más polémicos de la democracia española — Qué.es" (in Spanish). Que.es. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  7. 1 2 3 Scott-Elliot, Robin (31 August 2012). "Rodriguez defies age barrier and chequered past to secure silver". The Independent. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Biografías" (in Spanish). Spain: Comité Paralímpico Español. 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Los nadadores paralímpicos baten siete récords de España en el Open Internacional de Tenerife — Natación — Esto es DxT" (in Spanish). Spain: Estoesdxt.es. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  10. ↑ "Los nadadores paralímpicos baten siete récords de España — ABC.es — Noticias Agencias" (in Spanish). Spain: ABC.es. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  11. ↑ News Editor (2013-07-31). "La nadadora valenciana Anna Ortiz, campeona de Europa de 50 metros braza" (in Spanish). Spain: elperiodic.com. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  12. ↑ Malagaes.com (2013-07-18). "Noticias de Málaga : La andaluza Marta Gómez logra su segunda medalla de bronce en el Europeo de Natación Paralímpica — MALAGAES.COM 05/07/2011" (in Spanish). Spain: Malagaes.com. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  13. ↑ "Teresa Perales suma su segunda plata en Berlín" (in Spanish). Spain: Aragondigital.es. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  14. ↑ Estadio deportivo (2013-02-27). "Marta Gσmez, en busca de ser finalista en el Mundial de Nataciσn Paralνmpica" (in Spanish). Spain: Estadio deportivo. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  15. ↑ Agencia EFE. "Los nadadores canarios Michelle Alonso e Israel Oliver competirán por triunfo." (in Spanish). Spain: Eldiariomontanes.es. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 50 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  17. ↑ "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 100 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  18. ↑ "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 200 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  19. ↑ "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4×50 m Freestyle 20 pts". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  20. ↑ "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  21. ↑ "ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 50 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  22. ↑ "ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 100 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  23. ↑ "ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 200 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  24. ↑ "Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 200 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  25. ↑ "Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  26. ↑ "Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 50 m Freestyle S5". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  27. ↑ Mcbeth, John (10 September 2008). "Paralympics: Kiwi news day three". Television New Zealand. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  28. ↑ "Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  29. ↑ "Paralympics: US swimmer Arlen wins 100m freestyle gold". Channel NewsAsia. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  30. ↑ "Men's 100m Freestyle — S5". The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  31. ↑ "Men's 200m Freestyle — S5". The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
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