The Dominican Athletics Federation has excluded Jose (Ludwig) Rubio from the coaching staff for the Dominican team to the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador, Diario Libre reports. The games start on 23 June in San Salvador. Nine of the athletes who Rubio coaches say they will not compete in El Salvador without their coach.
Rubio produced 2012 Olympic silver medallist Luguelin Santos from scratch in Monte Plata. He is regarded as one of the better track and field coaches worldwide.
For the El Salvador Games, he is the coach of Fiordaliza Cofil (200m-400m and relays); Evelin del Carmen (400 meters hurdles), Marianny Otaño (100 m hurdles0, Franshina Martinez (4 x 400m), Jose Gonzalez (100m and 4 x 100m), Juander Santos (400 M hurdles), Robert King (400m and 4 x 400m), Ferdy Agramonte (800m and 4 x 400m and Ezequiel Suarez (4 x 400m).
Rubio protested his exclusion. He says in the past, he has paid his own way to travel with his athletes to international events.
Rubio also protested that the Athletics Federation did not request the visa for several athletes that had qualified to participate in the El Salvador Games.
Fiordaliza Cofill and Juander Santos protested, saying the Athletics Federation had gone too far.
The Dominican Olympic Committee, the Federation of Athletics, the Ministry of Sports have yet to comment on the protest.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
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Listin Diario
15 June 2023