Puado, Óscar Gil and the Olympic genesis of Espanyol

The medal is insured for two parakeets What, this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (Spanish peninsular time) they will fight for gold against Brazil. Is about Javi Puado and Óscar Gil, representatives of Espanyol in a Tokyo Games in which practically a century has passed since the first presence of the Blue and White club in an Olympic competition. And, as now, he did it twice. But, curiously, although they were both footballers, one participated in another sport.

The pioneers of Espanyol in some Games were Ricardo Zamora and Ricardo Saprissa, both in Paris-1924. It is true that El Divino had previously participated in an Olympic event, with his silver in Antwerp-1920, but then he was a member of Barcelona. Four years later, in the French capital, he acted as a parakeet in the goal of a Spanish team that aspired to very high levels –Zamora himself ventured that they would reach the final– but that when push came to shove did not pass the first match against Italy (0-1), a sort of one-game tie, which was resolved with an own goal by Pedro Vallana – who had also played in Antwerp – a few minutes from the end.

More unique is the participation of Saprissa, as it ran in the competition of tennis. Recognized 'sportman' of the time, since he had also successfully practiced baseball and field hockey – in addition to football, of course -, the Espanyol player was champion of Catalonia and Spain in doubles in 1923 and 1924, which led him to the Games.

And he did so under the Spanish flag, despite having been born in El Salvador and thus becoming the first Central American in an Olympic event, as accredited by the ISOH (International Society of Olympic Historians). I arrive until the third round with Eduard Flaquer and also participated in mixed doubles, alongside the pioneer Rosa Tomás, although they were felled in the first crossing.

Now, 97 years later, the youth squad Puado and Óscar Gil have the opportunity to return to Espanyol with the gold medal on their necks, although in the worst case they already have secured the silver that Raúl Tamudo and Toni Velamazán, as well as Joan Capdevila won in Sidney-2000, who was not a member of the parakeet club at the time.