• Heading to Tokyo, Carlos Coloma and Rocío del Alba, the medalist and his pupil

Sonia doesn't need the gynecologist to tell her a due date. With Lis , his three-month-old baby, he was clear. It already happened with Eiden , six years ago. "The two were born with Nestor in competition," he reveals while working with the girl, who claims her bottle. The baby, in another corner, is clamped in parallel, before the funny and proud look of his gymnast dad. This winter afternoon the whole family has been brought to the High Performance Center (CAR) to pose together before the photographer of EL MUNDO . Heredia is the only one who can convince Eiden to get out of the foam pool to stand before the camera.

Listening to the theme of these Olympic reports, with the focus on the athlete's environment, Nestor Abad (26 years old, one of those responsible for the Spanish artistic gymnastics team return to a Games) replied convinced: «Who are the most important around me? The ones that help and support me the most? Well, Sonia, Lis and Eiden. I do everything for them. I call her to see if she wants to participate ». In a few minutes, his wife gave him the ok. «And here we are. We all know each other, we come many Saturdays, ”she explains, patient at the target, with the newborn in her arms. It is common for soccer players or basketball players to form families at an early age. Some clubs, long ago, even encouraged them to do so, to keep them from dangerous temptations. But in gymnastics, swimming or athletics cases like Néstor Abad's are extraordinary: 26 years and father in duplicate.

"I felt I was not where I should be," he confesses about the birth of Lis, in the Stuttgart World Cup . There Spain got the place for Tokyo, hours before Sonia gave birth. Classified the team, it was up to Abad the individual contest. When he left the hotel, he was told that his wife was going to the delivery room, faster and with more curves than desired. "Luckily, when they arrived at the warming room they announced that the girl was perfect," says Fernando Siscar, the coach. “We tried to cheer him up, but he had his head somewhere else. Normal », remember about the unforgettable day of your ward. Néstor's exercises were not the best, excused to spare for the circumstances.

The birth of his firstborn is not forgotten either. He was 20 years old and Sonia 16.

«My family is my motivation. This sport is very hard, with many hours, little money and a lot of risk. For them I come here to leave my skin training, ”he says in a mature speech, almost excited to do the flashback. An American gymnast, Melanie Coleman , died late last year in a bad fall. Nestor shows scars from two serious knee injuries. "I prefer not to see him compete," acknowledges his wife, from Alcoy as well. He started at school doing gymnastics with girls, until at age eight, when he detected his talent, he was sent to train in Valencia. Now he lives with his clan in the mountains of Madrid, far from the bustle of the capital. Of his distractions.

Tattoos and psychologist

«A little cane I can, but most of the time I say no. I prefer to go home with my family, ”he tells the teammates about the pumpkins, young people all like him, but with other interests. Your muscles impress closely. Abad has them loaded with tattoos: a Buddha, a Hindu deity, a samurai, a lion ... Symbols of strength and concentration. His mind is exercised with Pablo del Río, a psychologist of reference in the CAR. Many Olympic medals carry their whispers of motivation.

Nestor gets up at seven in the morning and returns home at eight in the afternoon. Six days a week of training, more trips to compete. And in summer, exhibition circuit. A no stop to get a decent salary between scholarships and sponsorships. I would like to study nutrition to draw a future when the body puts the red traffic light. "I am very excited to represent Spain in Tokyo," he says, keeping an eye on Eiden , who does not stop. Even with the rings he dares. He learned to crawl on the stage, next to Dad; You see ways. "A gymnast is going out, I have assumed it," Sonia smiles with the resignation of the bullfighter's mother.

«Nestor is the most mature of the group», underlines the coach, before putting the most consistent piece of the national team through the clouds, where the known figure is Ray Zapata , a nationalized Dominican who was already at the Rio Games next to his Abad friend (they are intimate). They participated in the individual category because the team stayed out in the pre-Olympic. «His gymnastics is very solid. It is good on the ground, in a bar ... but in general you know that it gives you points in all the devices », according to Siscar, who has the bad shot in May to leave the combined in four, when there were five who classified Spain for Tokyo . Nestor, if he continues in his line and does not suffer any mishap, he will be.

"We're leaving, it's too late," the gymnast apologizes, now dressed as a father. Lis no longer cries, but bath time is approaching. The difficult thing will be to lower Eiden from the parallels.

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