Comunicado oficial: JJOO París 2024
Olympic champion Richard Carapaz infuriated by 'biased' decision from Equador into Olympic Games: "It looks like a maneuver designed to keep me out of Paris"
CyclingTuesday, 21 May 2024 at 12:00
Richard Carapaz continues his fight against the Ecuadorian Cycling Federation to try to have options to defend his gold medal in the next Olympic Games in Paris. A retroactive change in the rules makes it almost impossible for the EF Education-EasyPost rider to go to France to defend what he won in Tokyo.
In March the Federation changed the internal regulations to decide how to go to the Olympic event, and the UCI points only count from 2024. Jhonatan Narváez has many more points than Carapaz this year, hence the EF rider has no chance of going unless the regulations are changed. It must be said that since last October Ecuador knows that its quota for the Games was of one cyclist and it should have been then when they should have put the rule to see who would go;
Thus, Carapaz has published a statement to explain everything in detail and try to reverse the situation, although it seems that he has it very complicated despite the fact that, as he himself indicates, he is the one who has given more points to Ecuador to achieve the Olympic quota.
PRESS RELEASE FROM RICHARD CARAPAZ:
"Last Wednesday, May 8, the Ministry of Sport issued an official letter to the FEC, requesting a detailed report on the improvised internal selection rules for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Minister Andres Guschmer has confirmed that the response to this official letter has arrived after several days, unfortunately without a comprehensive, clear and precise indication of the requirement. This omission only reinforces my suspicions about the lack of transparency and fairness in the process.
I want to make it clear that I have never opposed the creation of a regulation for the selection process. However, the regulations created by the FEC are clearly biased and lack the fundamental principles of fairness and sports equity. Points have been taken into account since January, but the rules were not published until March, when there was already a difference in points between athletes.
It is clear that the rules created by the FEC only have criteria that favor my compatriot, leaving aside any objective and fair consideration. This should have been issued at the end of the Tokyo 2020+1 Olympic Games or at the end of last season, when all athletes started with zero points and we could plan our season equally. However, its publication in an impromptu manner and with no room for maneuver, seems to be designed to leave me out of Paris and exempt the FEC president from any responsibility.
I want to emphasize that, apart from being the reigning Olympic Champion, I am by far the Ecuadorian cyclist who has contributed the most points to achieve the Olympic quota. This contribution reinforces my right to a fair and transparent selection process, just like any Ecuadorian cyclist who has achieved such merit.
Also, I want to emphasize that while I thank the FEC and the COE for requesting an extra quota for the Olympic Champion, this action came on April 3, when it really could have been done much earlier. Since October 17, the FEC knew that Ecuador was only going to have one Olympic quota. This delay is another sign of the little interest they have had in taking me.
Their lack of transparency and communication only perpetuates doubts about the bias of the process. I therefore request the Ministry of Sport to urgently intervene to establish a fair and transparent selection process, completely free of any favoritism or discrimination.
Representing Ecuador is the greatest thing. I only wish that justice is done and we can dream again with another medal in Paris."
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