The gymnast Nstor Abad: how to be a father twice hung on rings

• Heading to Tokyo.
  

  Carlos Coloma and Roco del Alba, the medalist and his pupil
  

Sonia doesn't need the gynecologist to tell her a due date. With Lis, your three month old baby, I was clear. I already passed him with Eiden, six years ago. The two were born with Nstor 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 THE WORLD. Heredia is the only one capable of convincing Eiden to leave the pool of foams to put himself in front of the camera.

When listening to the theme of these Olympic reports, with the focus on the athlete's environment, Nstor Abad (26 years, one of those responsible for the Spanish team of artistic gymnastics return to a few Games) replied convinced: Who are the most important around me? The ones that help me the most and support me? 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 before the goal, with the newborn in 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 Nstor Abad's are extraordinary: 26 years and father in duplicate.

I felt that I was not where I should be, confesses about the birth of Lis, in full Stuttgart World Cup. All 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. Nstor'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 with a mature speech, almost excited when doing the flashback. An American gymnast, Melanie Coleman, I died at the end of last year in a bad one every. Nstor sports scars from two serious knee injuries. I prefer not to see him compete, recognizes his wife, from Alcoy as well. He started in school doing gymnastics with girls, until with eight years, 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 trajn of the capital. Of his distractions.

Tattoos and psychologist

A little can I, but most of the time I say no. I prefer to go home with my family, tell the teammates about the pumpkins, young people all like him, but with other interests. Up close his muscles impress. Abad has them loaded with tattoos: a Buddha, a Hindu deity, a samuri, a lion … Symbols of strength and concentration. Your mind exercises it with Pablo del Ro, reference psychologist in the CAR. Many Olympic medals carry their whispers of motivation.

Nstor 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. To study nutrition to draw a future when the body puts the red light. I am very excited to represent Spain in Tokyo, he says without taking his eyes off Eiden, that does not stop. Even with the rings he dares. I learned to crawl on the platform, next to Dad; You see ways. Gymnast is going out, I have assumed, Sonia smiles with the resignation of the bullfighter's mother.

Nstor is the most mature of the group, underlines the coach, before putting the most consistent piece of the national team in the clouds, where the known figure is Ray Shoe, nationalized Dominican who was already in the Ro Games with his friend Abad (they are intimate). They participated in an individual category because the team stayed out in the pre-Olympic. His gymnastics is very solid. It is good on the ground, in bar … but in general you know that it gives you points in all the devices, according to Siscar, who has the bad drink in May to leave the combined in four, when there were five who classified Spain for Tokyo. Nstor, if you are still in your line and do not suffer any mishap, be.

We're leaving, it's late, the gymnast apologizes, now dressed as a father. Lis no longer cries, but bath time is approaching. It is difficult to get Eiden down from the parallels.