Carlos Gil Pérez Explained

Carlos Gil Pérez
Birth Date:28 January 1931
Birth Place:Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
Death Place:Salamanca, Spain
Known For:Spanish athletics coach
Years Active:1955–2009
Organization:Royal Spanish Athletics Federation

Carlos Gil Pérez (28 January 1931 – 25 December 2009) was a Spanish athletics coach. From 1979 to 1988, he was Spain's top national coach, serving as the technical director of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA). He has been called one of the "fathers of Spanish athletics".

Life

Pérez was born in Santiago de Compostela, Spain on 28 January 1931.[1] From 1979 to 1988, he held the position of technical director of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA).[2] [3] Under his leadership, Spanish athletics achieved its first Olympic medals at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 and in Los Angeles in 1984.[4] [5]

At the 1982 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Athens, Spain achieved one of its great milestones by winning five medals. Three years later, in Budapest, Spain rose to the highest category of continental athletics.

Pérez also made significant contributions in sports administration. Within the RFEA, he revamped the technical infrastructure by introducing experienced coaches, thereby fostering sport development. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in initiating athlete support programs, including the creation of ADO scholarships. These scholarships provided financial assistance, offering 80,000 pesetas over four years to athletes with the potential to excel in Olympic Games and top-level championships.

Returning to his hometown, Perez coached the first Salamanca-born national champion in any sport in 1958; under his guidance, José Luis Albarrán claimed the title of Spanish champion in the 200 meters at the old Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián.

In Salamanca, he trained dozens of athletes under his guidance from 1955 to 2009, with notable mentions including his five Olympic athletes: José Luis Albarrán, José Luis Sánchez Paraíso, Rosa Colorado, Antonio Sánchez, and Frutos Feo. They also achieved numerous Spanish records.

In 1968, he received a Silver Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit in Salamanca from Juan Antonio Samaranch. In 2007, he received the Silver Medal again from King Juan Carlos I.[6] In 2010, he received the Gold Medal posthumously.[7]

Pérez was frequently seen at the Helmántico Stadium in Salamanca, coaching athletes even at over 70 years old. In his later years, he worked with athletes like Adrián Ingelmo, Ángel García, Saturnino González, David Berrocal, Pedro Ceballos, and Elvis González, among others.

Perez died on 25 December 2009 in Salamanca.

Sexual misconduct allegations

On 7 May 2024, a 57-year-old former discus thrower, under a pseudonym, claimed that Pérez sexually abused him when he was 17 years old. Three other people came forth with similar allegations published in the newspaper El País.[8] [9]

Works

Notes and References

  1. News: Cañamero . Paco . 28 December 2009 . Santo y seña del atletismo español . registration . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240509121535/https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/12/28/opinion/21666505.html . 9 May 2024 . 9 May 2024 . . es.
  2. News: 25 December 2009 . Fallece en Salamanca Carlos Gil, ex director técnico de la Federación de Atletismo . Carlos Gil, former technical director of the Athletics Federation, dies in Salamanca . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211030044541/https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/12/25/castillayleon/1261765287.html . 30 October 2021 . 9 May 2024 . . es.
  3. News: Pérez . Carlos Gil . 12 January 1989 . Un modelo para nuestro atletismo . A model for our athletics . 9 May 2024 . . es . 1134-6582.
  4. Web site: Cebrián . Gerardo . 25 December 2009 . Murió Carlos Gil Pérez . Carlos Gil Pérez died . https://web.archive.org/web/20190212130930/http://www.rfea.es/web/noticias/desarrollo.asp?codigo=3469#.XGJNoDNKiUk . 12 February 2019 . . es.
  5. Web site: Moronta . Samu . 25 December 2009 . Adiós, maestro de maestros . Goodbye, teacher of teachers . https://web.archive.org/web/20100101031322/http://palcodeportivo.es/index.php/polideportivo/54/3060-adios-maestro-de-maestros.html . 1 January 2010 . palcodeportivo.com . es.
  6. Web site: 27 April 2007 . Resolución de 13 de abril de 2007, de la Presidencia del Consejo Superior de Deportes, por la que se concede el ingreso en la Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo, en las categorías que se señalan. . Resolution of April 13, 2007, of the Presidency of the Higher Sports Council, by which admission to the Royal Order of Sports Merit is granted, in the categories indicated. . 9 May 2024 . Boletín Oficial del Estado . es . 26 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231226005118/https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2007-8801 . live .
  7. Web site: 25 May 2010 . ENTREGA DE LAS DISTINCIONES DE LA REAL ORDEN DEL MÉRITO DEPORTIVO 2010 . DELIVERY OF THE DISTINCTIONS OF THE ROYAL ORDER OF SPORTS MERIT 2010 . Household of His Majesty the King . es . 9 May 2024 . 9 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240509121539/https://www.casareal.es/EN/Actividades/Paginas/actividades_actividades_detalle.aspx?data=8330 . live .
  8. News: Oller . Alex . 8 May 2024 . Former athletes allege sexual abuse by Spanish track and field coaching legend . . 9 May 2024 . 9 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240509121538/https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1145140/gil-athletics-spain-sexual-abuse-claims . live .
  9. News: Domínguez . Íñigo . Giovi . Eleonora . 7 May 2024 . Dos exatletas acusan a Carlos Gil Pérez, uno de los padres del atletismo español, de abusar de menores en los ochenta: "¿Quién me iba a creer entonces?" . Two former athletes accuse Carlos Gil Pérez, one of the fathers of Spanish athletics, of abusing minors in the eighties: "Who would believe me then?" . subscription . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240508042652/https://elpais.com/sociedad/2024-05-07/carlos-gil-perez-uno-de-los-padres-del-atletismo-espanol-acusado-de-abusar-de-menores-en-los-ochenta-aprendi-a-vivir-con-ello-quien-me-iba-a-creer-entonces.html . 8 May 2024 . 9 May 2024 . . es . 1134-6582.