Three former Costa Rican swimmers report physical and sexual abuse.

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, p. a12

San José, Claudia Poll, Costa Rica's only Olympic champion, and two other former swimmers from that country reported yesterday that they suffered psychological, physical, and sexual abuse from renowned local coach Francisco Rivas, who denied the accusations.

"I suffered every possible (psychological) attack from Rivas," said Poll, winner of the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle at the 1996 Atlanta Games, while former national team member Marcela Cuesta said she was sexually abused by the coach when she was a minor.

The former swimmers filed their complaint on the program Interferencia, an investigative journalism program on the University of Costa Rica radio stations.

Rivas was always going through my personal belongings, stealing my cell phones. When he could, he paid to have my conversations recorded, and he went through my trash , said Poll, who won two bronze medals at Sydney 2000.

He once took used condoms out of my trash, made a photocopy of them, showed them to me, and demanded that I tell him who they belonged to , the 52-year-old former athlete added.

The coach, who is still active, denied the allegations. "In Claudia's case, I'm surprised by everything. It's not true, I have to say it categorically ," he told Teletica, stating that he was a member of Poll's H2O swimming club until 2022.

Rivas, 75, has been a coach for five decades, has led six Olympic teams, and is described by the Costa Rican Sports Gallery as the most successful swimming coach in Latin America .

Marcela Cuesta, who quit competitions at 16, said that when she was very young, he tried to touch me (my private parts) in one way or another and I immediately rejected him .

He never did it again, he was careful not to repeat it , added the former athlete, winner of three Pan American medals at the 1987 Indianapolis Games.

I remember when Francisco told me: you are brilliant, wonderful, you have an incredible talent, but God made you stupid , she added.

Cuesta indicated that a few months ago he reported what happened to the Costa Rican Aquatic Sports Federation, but this entity responded that the events were time-barred .

Former swimmer Manuel Rojas also claimed that he suffered physical and psychological abuse from Rivas.

He said that on one occasion, the coach decided to give him massages, even though the federation had a physical therapist. "It wasn't a massage, it was blows. I felt the fist on my legs, the elbows on my back, but it wasn't therapy; they were injuries ," he said.

▲ Photo @schecoperez

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, p. a12

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