Spanish swimmer Fernando Alvarez delayed his race to pay tribute to victims of the Barcelona terror attack
FINA wouldn’t grant Alvarez a moment of silence, so he took one himself.
Spanish swimmer Fernando Alvarez wanted to take a minute of silence before his race to pay tribute to the victims of the recent Barcelona terror attack in which 15 people lost their lives. According to El Español, FINA — the International Swimming Federation — said it couldn’t take an extra minute.
So instead, Alvarez took the minute during the race. As the rest of the competitors took to the water, Alvarez did not. He remained by his starting block for that moment of silence.
“It’s a thing that has affected all of us,” Alvarez told El Español. “But because of the distance and because I have family there, the truth is I believe that [tribute] would have been a great detail.”
Alvarez eventually began the race, but he was so far behind that FINA does not have an official time.
