SPAIN’S strongest woman, Lydia Valentín may carry the flag for her national team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – compensation for having missed out on the podium twice, despite netting a silver and a gold.
Seven years after earning the gold at London 2012, the León-born weightlifter has finally received her prize – she left her second Games reasonably satisfied with her fourth-place diploma, but in 2016 was notified that she had been bumped up to first after the top three were disqualified en masse for doping.
And last year, a decade overdue, she received her silver medal from Peking 2008 – again, having come away from her first Olympics with a fifth-place diploma and considering this a good start, she later discovered that the three women in front of her had also been disqualified for using banned substances.
“They’re not true sportswomen, as far as I’m concerned,” she said.
“Basically, they’ve made a circus of themselves, and as far away from the sport they can get, the better.”
Lydia missed out on her chance to stand proud on the podium – twice – and hear the national anthem played in her honour in London, as well as potential sponsorship offers that she could easily have netted as an Olympic champion or silver medallist but which would be less likely to reach her for coming fourth or fifth.
She is now fighting for financial compensation since, like many sportswomen of her calibre, she has a day job and has to try to fund her weightlifting herself, or through sponsors.
Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) chairman Alejandro Blanco tweeted, tagging her: “@lydikit, you’re exceptional and unique, the best in the world.”
Having scooped up the bronze at Rio 2016 – and actually left Brazil with it, rather than having to wait seven to 10 years for it – Lydia is hoping to hit the podium again next year in Japan; although long before then, she has the European and World Championships in September to work for.
“The truth is that no Spanish female has ever won three medals in three different games,” Lydia says.
“Saúl Craviotto [canoeist] has won four in as many games, so for things to be fair, [the flag-bearer] should be either him or me.”
Lydia’s name has been put forward by the Olympic Committee to do so.
“Clearly, I’m going to do my best to make sure it’s me! But I think in the end it’s a matter of justice.
“If it does turn out to be me, I’ll be delighted. Let’s hope so. I’m going to pray hard.”
She is one of the favourites to carry the Spanish flag at the head of the Olympic procession next year, although she will also be up against Craviotto plus super-swimmer Mireia Belmonte, badminton star Carolina Marín, and the karate candidates Sandra Sánchez and Damián Quintero – for whom Tokyo 2020 will be their only Olympic chance, given that their sport has been axed from Paris 2024 to make way for breakdance, a new discipline at the games.
Last year’s flag-bearer was tennis ace Rafael Nadal – despite online petitions calling for it to be a female due to women’s under-representation in the role, most considered it fair in the end for Nadal to take the lead, given that he had been picked as flag-carrier for London 2012 and missed his big chance after having to scratch from the games due to injury.
Photograph of Lydia Valentín by the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE)
