With 12 years as president of the Dominican Swimming Federation (Fedona, for its acronym), which is equal to two Olympic cycles, Rafael Radhamés Tavárez has achieved presence in the London 2012 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and two swimmers classified for Tokyo 2020, in addition to participating in the 12 world championships of its discipline, until 2019.
Also the advance to the Youth Olympic Games, where the country was represented by Dorian McMenemy and Josué Domínguez in 2014 and by Mariel Mencía in 2018.
Although they have not reached the podium, Tavárez indicates that Jacinto Ayala went to Beijing 2008; Nicholas Schwab and McMenemy went to London 2012 and McMenemy to Rio Janeiro 2016 and that they are classified B, for Tokyo 2020, Domínguez 100 chest and Krystal Lara 200 back.
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The future
As an immediate project for Fedona, it is developing José David Calderón and Simón Sánchez in diving; in artistic swimming to Bianni Matos and in open water Rayven de los Santos, “who have been emerging as our main generation relay,” said Tavárez
He complained about the lack of adequate facilities to strengthen swimming, while also referring that his main athletes are training outside the country, as is the case of Domínguez (swimming races), which is in Utah, United States and Lara (swimming races) Virginia, United States.
Also Frandiel Gómez Kazán, (nailed), in Russia; Jonathan Ruvalcaba (nailed) in Guanajuato, Mexico; Argenis Álvarez (diving) Montreal, Canada; Fausto Huerta, (swimming race) Virginia, United States and Mariel Mencía (swimming race), North Carolina.
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Fedona’s main achievements
The federated leader is proud to advance to the Olympic Games, “ranking above countries in the region, which have a defined sports policy and better facilities for training their athletes.”
The strengthening of the institutionality, growth of the associations, having its own website, presence in social networks and massification of the discipline, considers Tavarez as part of his legacy, as he leads Dominican swimming.
At the Pan-American level it indicates that we achieved a sixth place in synchronized diving, 10 meters, with Frandiel Gómez and José Ruvalcaba; seventh place, 10 meters, with Ruvalcaba Peru; eighth place on the Tres Metros springboard, with Ruvalcaba; eighth place with Place Krystal Lara.
In 2010, in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, two years after ascending to the presidency, Tavárez had the satisfaction of bringing the country two medals, both in artistic swimming, achieved by Katherine Martínez and Martínez and Claudia Cueli.
A silver and two bronze medals also adorn Fedona’s offices, won at the Central American Games in Cali, Colombia, in 2018 and silver and bronze hang on Lara’s chest, and the bronze that Frandiel Gómez wears.
The president of swimming in the country indicated that the country has 12 athletes with marks for the Cali-2021 Pan American Games, among which he cited Mariel Mencía, Riley Pujadas, Elizabeth Jiménez and Darielis Ortiz.
Also to Alicia Pérez, Denzel González, Fausto Huerta, Andrés Martijena, Robert Liz, Brandon Vives, Zeniel Guzmán and Alejandro Rosa.
“Everyone is hopeful of medals, we trust that we will have the time to get on the podium in all the modalities in which we participate,” said Tavarez.
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