Lucas Sáez-Bravo Madrid
Madrid
Updated Tuesday, February 13, 2024-23:08
Scariolo selection calls Ricky
Three years ago,
Marta Xargay
(Girona, 1990) left elite sport at the height of the wave. Because, she confessed, "all that glitters is not gold." She was 29 years old, she was one of the best players in the world, leader of the European champion team, Olympic and world silver, but she looked back and only remembered basketball. Not only did she retire, she also publicly denounced having suffered episodes of abuse by
Lucas Mondelo
that led her to bulimia.
Marta pressed F5 and a new life dawned, of which
Breanna Stewart
, his wife (WNBA MVP) and
Ruby Mae and Teo
are now part . After all that earthquake of 2021, of life experiences as unique as the birth of his children and as hard as the death of his father due to cancer last August, Xargay breaks his silence in EL MUNDO, which he receives in Madrid after receiving the award from
Gigantes
magazine
for his Legend career.
To know more
Lucas Mondelo.
"These false accusations not only harm me, but also many women who are truly mistreated"
Editor: LUCAS SÁEZ-BRAVO Madrid
"These false accusations not only harm me, but also many women who are truly mistreated"
What is your life like after basketball? If I'm honest, my life is a revolution. We live between New York and Girona. I no longer have a schedule to train, but now I have to take the girl to school, take care of Teo... And I like to continue being surrounded by basketball, sharing the previous nerves with Breanna. What does she miss and what doesn't? We're done After arriving from Antwerp from the US National Team Pre-Olympic Championships and she misses those important matches, the finals, seeing a full hall... But the day to day... When I see that she has to train twice or extend a training session , I don't miss that. I know it was my time. When an elite athlete no longer wants to work overtime, it means that you are no longer enjoying what you do. What feelings do you have when you see a ball? When I announced my retirement, it took me a long time to touch a ball again. I didn't feel like it. When people leave due to fatigue... And I was very clear about it, one stage was closing and another was opening. Now I occasionally help Breanna in some training, when we are in Girona. But in New York I only play with my daughter in the toy basket we have at home. Now we see careers that extend up to 40 years. You were clear that it was time to say goodbye with 29. I was happy and calm with my career. Olympic Games, World Cup Games, European Games, the WNBA, I won a Euroleague... It's true that here we started much younger and I suppose that mental and physical fatigue comes sooner. Best memory? Rio comes to mind a lot. Any medal costs a lot, but an Olympic one... That was one of the moments that has marked me the most and that will stay with me forever. Do you feel that they formed something special in that team? We went to the team to have a good time. We were going to compete, but we always said, 'Let's go camping.' It was a group with a lot of chemistry and a very good vibe. We enjoyed it outside, but we also enjoyed it inside, where the character came out. Knowing how to compete, not giving up. Pride. On Sunday they were down 22 and came back in Hungary. You feel proud, even though you are no longer part of it. It means that you have left something, that that character is not lost.
Xargay, after receiving the Gigantes award. JUANJO MARTINEFE
There were also bad moments. I was recently with
Laia Palau
and we remember the last summer, 2019, the European Championship in Serbia. That summer was very hard. I carried everything I had on me and it was very hard for everyone. If I'm honest, I don't even know how we won. Well, with Spanish blood. That tournament was held after his season in Kursk (Russia), where those "unaffordable things" that he denounced with Mondelo happened. Was it a liberation? I felt a responsibility to make my case public. I, who was who I was at that moment, could help someone. It was better to do that than win a medal. As an elite athlete, there are many girls who follow you. You are an example for many people. From all that process I remain with the people who wrote to me, thanking me. Because surely, they were going through the same thing. Mothers and girls wrote to me, saying thank you. You have to give visibility to things. You don't want that to happen to anyone, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It was hard, I'm not going to lie to you. But you can also get out of it. I have recovered and in the end, it was an anecdote, so to speak. He has not talked about it again or about Lucas Mondelo. I did not want to talk more because in the end it is something that I wanted to get rid of. Breanna helped me a lot, she also told her story to help other girls. Regarding Lucas, each one chooses his own path. I am very calm with my life, with my career. I'm not going to talk to him. If I meet him, I'm not going to turn his face on him, we are adults. In addition to his case, did you see or sense more cases of abuse nearby? I am convinced that there are many cases like this, in all areas. There are people who do not have that power to report or are afraid to tell his story because they cannot be believed. I hope anyone who is suffering harassment or any type of abuse can ask for help and put an end to it. As an elite athlete, what did you feel about the Rubiales case? It was hard, very hard. I remember getting emotional with anger and sadness. When he spoke (at the RFEF Assembly) and everyone applauded him... that's what hurt me the most of all. Things happen and everyone can make a mistake, but what comes after the mistake is worse than what happened before. When I saw those applause I cried. I thought, 'Still, we applaud.' That is unforgivable. What would you say to your children if they told you that they wanted to dedicate themselves to basketball? Something that my parents told me from the beginning: 'Enjoy and have a good time.' And be aware that there will be hard moments. I had teammates whose parents were behind with the statistics. They never scolded me. If you haven't done well but you've fought and enjoyed it, it's worth it. He formed his family after his career. Did you value being a mother while being a professional player? In that area there is a lot to learn. In sports we are very behind. We are making progress little by little, but there are still striking cases. A few days ago I saw a woman doing a job interview and the first thing they asked her was if she had plans to get pregnant.As elite athletes we have it much more difficult. In the WNBA it is different, the players can travel with the children, financially they help you from the league... I hope there comes a time when being a mother is not a problem for an athlete. As an athlete and person you want to create a family and we should make it easier for everyone.
Silvia Domínguez
told me that she was aware that being a mother affected her sports career. It's not fair at all. Many athletes are not mothers because they are afraid of what will happen, in case it will affect their career. When we decide to start a family, it affects Breanna too. You don't sleep as well... being a mother is a constant job, non-stop.