The fight outside the pools
The decision to suspend the scholarships was made after World Aquatics, the world’s governing federation for swimming, intervened in the scandal caused by Torodov and installed the Stabilizing Committee, currently headed by María José Alcalá, of the Mexican Olympic Committee. However, CONADE did not recognize the committee proposed by the international association, so some athletes stopped receiving resources.
In February 2023, at least a dozen athletes and coaches sent a letter to the president of World Aquatics, Husain Al Musalam, so that they could have the necessary resources for their preparation and participation in international competitions.
“It is worth mentioning that we have stayed out of the problems that exist between the Mexican Swimming Federation and the Stabilizing Commission. We believe that we should not participate by expressing our support for one group or another; what we have to do is train every day to participate in competitions and win. However, we have been put in an unfair situation in which we will not be able to participate in future competitions organized by the stabilizing commission,” says the Letter published by the newspaper Esto .
Although the response was positive, the athletes still did not have sufficient resources or travel expenses to attend the competitions. It was then that the Mexican “mermaids” began selling swimsuits and towels to be able to pay for their trips. According to Nuria Diosdado, the leader of the swimming team, businessmen Carlos Slim and Arturo Elías Ayub paid for their flights and accommodations to go to the World Artistic Swimming Championships in Soma Bay, Egypt, in May 2023, where they won three gold medals and one bronze.
At the time, the head of Conade accused them of being “liars” and said they could sell whatever they wanted, even Tupperware or underwear, to make money.
“My hands are tied in the face of a legal situation and I am in the best position to ensure that the resources are there when that point is resolved. We are complying with the law and the order given to us by the supervisory authority. The solution is to dissolve the Stabilization Committee,” she said in an interview with Ciro Gómez Leyva.
(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The artistic swimming team finished in seventh place at the Paris Olympics, after having won the gold medal at the Paris World Championships held months before the Olympics.
