Sebastián Rodríguez Veloso Explained

Sebastián Rodríguez
Full Name:Sebastián Rodríguez Veloso
Nationality:Spanish
Birth Date:27 February 1957
Birth Place:Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain
Strokes:Freestyle

Sebastián Rodríguez Veloso (pronounced as /es/; 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.

In the 1980s he was a member of the Spanish terrorist organisation First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups (Spanish; Castilian: Grupos de Resistencia Antifascista Primero de Octubre, GRAPO).[3] [4] 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] [3] [5]

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] [3] [5] [6] 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] [3] [5]

Swimming

Rodríguez is an S5 swimmer.[7] In his swimming career, he has earned over 20 total medals.[5] His training base is Vigo.

In 2010, Rodríguez competed at the Tenerife International Open.[8] 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).[9] 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.[10] [11] [12] He competed at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships.[13] [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,[6] but he lost his leg during a hunger strike during its years in prison.[16] He won five gold medals at the Games and set four new world records.[4] Three of his golds came in individual freestyle events in the S5 classification, as he set world records in the 50 metres,[17] 100 metres[18] and 200 metres.[19] 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.[20] [21] 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.[4]

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.[22] [23] [24]

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,[25] [26] and bronze medals in the 50 m freestyle and the 4×50 m medley relay 20 pts.[27] [28] [29]

His fourth Paralympic appearance came at the 2012 Games in London, United Kingdom. He won three medals at the Games;[1] [2] [5] silvers in the 50 m freestyle and 200 m freestyle,[6] and a bronze in the 100 m.[30] [31] [32]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sebastian Rodriguez. London2012.com. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 9 September 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120909111257/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/athlete/rodriguez-sebastian-5515851/. 9 September 2012.
  2. News: Gabino. Rosario. Spanish swimmer Sebastian Rodriguez triumphs over dark past. 9 September 2012. 8 September 2012. BBC Sport.
  3. News: Addley. Esther. Paralympics 2012: Spanish swimmer leaves violent past for glory in the pool. 9 September 2012. The Guardian. 30 August 2012.
  4. News: Spain backs controversial Paralympic hero. 9 September 2012. 1 September 2000. BBC News.
  5. Web site: Los diez indultos más polémicos de la democracia española — Qué.es . 19 November 2013 . Que.es . es . 2013-11-21.
  6. News: Scott-Elliot. Robin. Rodriguez defies age barrier and chequered past to secure silver. 9 September 2012. The Independent. 31 August 2012.
  7. Web site: Biografías. Comité Paralímpico Español. Spain. es. 2012. July 20, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140809221831/http://www.paralimpico.es/publicacion/buscador/datosbiografia.asp?idatleta=31208810H. August 9, 2014. dead. mdy-all.
  8. Web site: Los nadadores paralímpicos baten siete récords de España en el Open Internacional de Tenerife — Natación — Esto es DxT . Estoesdxt.es . 11 August 2013 . es . Spain.
  9. Web site: Los nadadores paralímpicos baten siete récords de España — ABC.es — Noticias Agencias . ABC.es . 14 May 2010 . 11 August 2013 . es . Spain . https://web.archive.org/web/20130929053608/http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?noticia=394482 . 29 September 2013 . dead . dmy-all .
  10. Web site: La nadadora valenciana Anna Ortiz, campeona de Europa de 50 metros braza . elperiodic.com . 2013-07-31 . 7 August 2013. Spain. es.
  11. Web site: Malagaes.com . Noticias de Málaga : La andaluza Marta Gómez logra su segunda medalla de bronce en el Europeo de Natación Paralímpica — MALAGAES.COM 05/07/2011 . Malagaes.com . 2013-07-18 . 7 August 2013 . es . Spain . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203015020/http://www.malagaes.com/noticia.asp?id=29167 . 3 December 2013 .
  12. Web site: Teresa Perales suma su segunda plata en Berlín . Aragondigital.es . 11 August 2013. Spain. es.
  13. Web site: Deportes : La extremeña Isabel Yinghua Hernández competirá en el Campeonato del Mundo de Natación Paralímpica . Extremaduradehoy.com . 11 August 2013 . es . Spain . dead . https://archive.today/20130811103608/http://www.extremaduradehoy.com/periodico/deportes/extremena_isabel_yinghua_hernandez_competira_campeonato_del_mundo_natacion-190504.html . 11 August 2013 .
  14. Web site: Estadio deportivo . Marta Gσmez, en busca de ser finalista en el Mundial de Nataciσn Paralνmpica . Estadio deportivo . 2013-02-27 . 11 August 2013. es. Spain.
  15. Web site: Agencia EFE . Los nadadores canarios Michelle Alonso e Israel Oliver competirán por triunfo. . Eldiariomontanes.es . 11 August 2013 . Spain . es . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235759/http://www.eldiariomontanes.es/agencias/20130809/deportes/mas-deportes/nadadores-canarios-michelle-alonso-israel_201308091313.html . 2 December 2013 . dead . dmy-all .
  16. News: Spanish swimmer Sebastian Rodriguez triumphs over dark past. BBC Sport.
  17. Web site: Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 50 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  18. Web site: Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 100 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  19. Web site: Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 200 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  20. Web site: Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4×50 m Freestyle 20 pts. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  21. Web site: Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  22. Web site: ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 50 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  23. Web site: ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 100 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  24. Web site: ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 200 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  25. Web site: Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 200 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  26. Web site: Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  27. Web site: Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 50 m Freestyle S5. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  28. News: Mcbeth. John. Paralympics: Kiwi news day three. 9 September 2012. 10 September 2008. Television New Zealand.
  29. Web site: Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts. International Paralympic Committee. 9 September 2012.
  30. News: Paralympics: US swimmer Arlen wins 100m freestyle gold. 9 September 2012. 9 September 2012. Channel NewsAsia.
  31. Web site: Men's 100m Freestyle — S5. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. 9 September 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120909034342/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/swimming/event/men-100m-freestyle-s5/index.html. 9 September 2012.
  32. Web site: Men's 200m Freestyle — S5. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. 9 September 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120909011141/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/swimming/event/men-200m-freestyle-s5/index.html. 9 September 2012.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sebastián Rodríguez Veloso".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.