On August 11, 2012 the Balearic Sete Benavides (31 years old, Pollensa) he was a disgruntled guy after his effort of just over 43 seconds. He had lost the bronze medal “for going wrong” in the final of C-1 200and the canoeist grumbled. Today, on Wednesday, June 14, 2022, at the COE headquarters, everything has changed: from fourth place he jumps to thirdfrom a diploma to a medal, because hehe doping tests showed that the Lithuanian Shikulin (silver) had cheated. “I sincerely believe that this bronze if instead of hanging it now I had done it when I was 21 years old, my life would have been different”, comments the athlete supported by two legends of his discipline, Cal and Craviotto, in addition to family, friends and federative positions.
“This Olympic medal completes my record”, Sete summarizes, with 25 internationals in his record, because with the reassignment of the medal of the 2012 Games he also received a world bronze and an Olympic one due to the disqualification of the Lithuanian. “In 2016 (he was fourth in Rio) when they withdrew my test from the Olympic program, I thought that the medal was going to be impossible, because I am from the 200, even if I think about Paris and prepare another test. Then this came, and look, happy because I have a medal in everything ”summarizes he satisfied.
Benanides did not want to talk about the economic issue, or did not know. Actually, the medal means extra income for him that he did not count on: It’s 30,000 euros for the prize, and now someone will have to decide without interest or not, and also review the aid that he stopped receiving in later years: “It’s something we need to talk about. It seems to me a very unfair situation, but at this moment I cannot make much progress. It will have to be treated.”
With his bronze medal, what could be said which is second handbecause before reaching your neck The Russian Ivan Shtyl had it, he thinks that “he has kept it very well and it is in perfect condition”. He is friendly with the Russian “and we have spoken; I have told her that I am going to take care of her even better,” she maintains.
Didn’t it take long to do justice?
We have had many problems for a few years. Ideally it would have been in London, but it’s already here.
–
