2023-11-09 22:39:52
The enormous joy that Chilean athletics gave in Santiago 2023 was silenced by controversies. The enormous pressure that the athletes experienced to remove Berdine Castillo and Poulette Cardoch, in favor of María Fernanda Mackenna and Violeta Arnaiz in the 4×400 relay, revealed the arbitrary decisions of the relay coach Marcelo Gajardo.
A situation that was revealed following the complaint made by Castillo, who detailed the incidents that occurred moments before the test, when he described the pressures that the vice president of the International Athletics Federation Ximena Restrepo tried to exert.
Words that were seconded by one of her colleagues. Evelyn Ortiz published a long thread on her social networks where she reaffirmed the ins and outs of the controversy that the Haitian-born athlete denounced.
“Removing Berdine from concentration when he was facing the most important final of his career, that is not done for any reason, in addition to pointing out Berdine achieved silver and Chile’s under 23 record in the junior Pan American Games. She has a historical record in the test and she was a fixed card in the 800, they took her out of focus and she did not manage to run well,” wrote Gacela.
In that sense, he added that “the way the roster was given is not normal, much less modifying the relay 2 hours before running. This news left Poli (Cardoch) very bad because she was removed from a place that she deserved due to technical marks, that was in the selection criteria, which caused annoyance among Poli and Berdine’s coaches.
However, the athlete who was sixth in the 400 m at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Poland last March stopped at the coercion exerted by the track leader.
“He began to carry out the work of the athletes and the rules of athletics. This is where the most controversy comes. Ximena Restrepo intercedes in this decision, asking that Berdine not run. The athlete witnessing everything before running in her final obviously destroyed her,” Ortiz clarified.
Likewise, he expressed that “they wanted to fix the mess (sic) and reinstate Poli and Berdine as it should be, but Poli was so affected that she decided not to run for the sake of a good relay for the country… Berdine decided to run and show that she might . She was the second fastest following Martina.”
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He also had criticism for Gajardo’s actions: “the coach is my former coach, I know him, and I know everyone involved. My perception is that he wanted to put together the UC relay, the club where he works. He moved with his own motivations, I don’t blame him, but perhaps he was under a lot of pressure to put the other 2 athletes, fifth and sixth in times, Feña (Mackenna) and Viole (Araiz).”
A long story from Gacela where she denounced the indifference with which Castillo was treated by the rest of her teammates, following she decided to run in the event.
“The saddest and most regrettable thing is that when Berdine returns to the relay warm-up, her teammates Martina (Weil), Stephanie (Saavedra) and Feña (Mackenna) give her the silent treatment and do not speak to her, I think that is The worst thing that can happen to an athlete in a relay and such a beautiful event… Team solidarity was expected. If I know that I have a partner who is faster than me, it would not occur to me to leave her out of it, I would support the country’s benefit, not my personal interest in being there,” confessed the 400 m specialist.
On the same point, he argued that “this case tarnishes a sport where the brands are the ones that matter and I hope something like this is never repeated once more, because it damages the work and dreams of the athletes and the new generations. Being there was a dream, but the selfishness was stronger and we saw a cold relay, with an obvious break, but the numbers proved him right, since Berdine ran better and without a doubt Poli would have done it too, Chile would have fought the bronze”.
Furthermore, he stressed that “Berdine is an exemplary woman, who has given us many joys representing Chile. Of tremendous humility and with the ‘burden’ of hearing inappropriate and racist comments just because of their skin color, as the statement says, they are not part of the elite, they are part of the majority of Chileans, from schools with and community clubs. She trains in Recoleta or Pudahuel, with a very low profile, and with incredible talent in the toughest test in athletics.”
To finish her story, Evelyn Ortiz wanted to leave a reflection on the courage that the athlete of Haitian origin had to make known what really happened on the penultimate day of competitions at the Pan American Games.
“Thanks to Berdine for the courage to tell what many of us knew might be happening behind the technical decision… So that never once more will the pituto, the surname and the social class be put above the honest work of an athlete… And note this: Berdine Castillo will shine in Paris 2024″, La Gazelle warned.
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