Iker Martinez and Julia Rita not compete in Hyeres

Echavarri and Pacheco to Rio

The Spanish duo Iker Martinez and Julia Rita not start today the competition in the Nacra 17 class World Cup Hyères (France) with what the couple Fernando Echavarri / Tara Pacheco which itself competes, will represent Spain in the class at the Olympic Games river.

Although the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV) not confirmed until next Monday, the decision of Iker Martinez and Julia Rita not to compete, although until the day before enrollment was on the list of competitors, leaving the free way to cntabro Fernando Echavarri and the Canary Tara Pacheco.

The decision not to be in Hyères Martinez / Rita was predictable, though not justifiable, after the last day 20 RFEV dismissed the appeal filed by Iker Martinez, who after being addressed, on 11 February, a rival in the second day of the first round of Olympic selection of the three designated by the director of Olympic preparation, Toni Ripoll, World class in Clearwater (Florida), suffered a broken calf and the internal lateral ligament of the left knee, he was forced to a low minimum period of 40 days,

This prevented him from competing in the second race, the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma (from March 25 to April 2) and be at a disadvantage scoring against Echavarri / Pacheco, who finished fourth, bringing in the third test, Hyeres World Cup starting today, their chances of qualifying were already remote.

From the outset, the appeal filed by Martinez / Rita hit frontally opposed by rivals around the square, including legal ones. But the straw that broke the camel's back was partially accepted by the Committee Selelccion Olympic RFEV appeal by the santanderino Diego Botín and coruñés Iago Lopez Marra about the selection of the brothers from Asturias Federico and Arturo Alonso for class 49er. in Rio.

This acceptance led to the federal decision, the 25th, to establish a single race for the final classification: Delta Lloyd Regatt of Medemlbik (Netherlands) from 24 to 28 May.

On its Facebook, Iker Martinez wrote: "On day 21, 08:30 am I get an email from the presidency of the RFEV where the judgment confirms that my appeal was dismissed but there is no resolution, good, nobody gives explanations to our points now, so do not really know where we are but we have something official. "

"I ponder why I feel so bad, actually I do everything I can to recover and compete as soon as possible, the more I can do, but I realize then that what gives me most pain is to see how my opponents Fernando Echavarri and Tara Pacheco are fighting with your attorney like a scalded cat so we can not run a selection want to go to the Olympics but without running a selection against us. in my opinion, shows little courage. "

"So we put in the press understand that the 49er will have a new selection, which makes it harder yet you can understand how we, we could not run a selection because I suffered an injury caused by a collision of another boat, which was disqualified in the World Cup, we do not have a similar resolution. "

"From there it was impossible to continue the World and selection breakage twin and breakage of internal lateral ligament in his left knee, but I fought to recover as fast as possible and have fought against the lawyer Fernando and Tara to have another opportunity, which appears not coming, "says the Olympic champion.

Also reveals: "It is true, as he tells me so . People that if today Fernando and Tara decide that they want to run a selection and the best man win, he would have That's right , and in fact is what the federation has requested, but not want, on the contrary do their best to block the situation with your lawyer. "

"My opinion is clear, the attitude of little courage to Fernando and Tara until today is not what is needed to achieve Olympic success and how to react in the federation to problems that are either emerging is nothing effective," concludes Iker .