Olympic Gold Medalist Claudia Poll Alleges Abuse by Former Coach
Olympic gold medalist Claudia Poll has alleged abuse by a former coach in her native Costa Rica.
Poll was one of several swimmers who made accusations toward coach Francisco Rivas, alleging psychological, physical and sexual abuse. National team swimmer Marcela Cuesta also alleged that Rivas sexually assaulted her while she was a minor. Former swimmer Manuel Rojas Giralt also lodged accusations against Rivas, who has denied them.
Poll discussed the allegations in an interview with Interferencia, a journalism project through the University of Costa Rica’s radio network. The full report is available here.
Poll alleged abusive conduct and attempts to control her behavior by Rivas, with whom she later went into business at the H20 swim club until 2022. That included going through her garbage and her cell phone to surveil her relationships and actions.
Cuesta, who swam at the Pan American Games in 1987, alleged that Rivas attempted to touch her sexually. She retired from the sport at age 16. Rojas claimed “physical and psychological abuse” at Rivas’ hands.
Rivas, 75, has coached six Costa Rican Olympic teams.
Poll, 52, is the most decorated swimmer in Costa Rican history. She won the 200 freestyle at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the first Central American individual to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport. She followed it with bronze in the 200 free and 400 free in Sydney in 2000. She also was the 1998 World Champion in the 200 free as well as four World Short-Course Golds and was named the 1997 Swimming World Female Swimmer of the Year.
She’s the younger sister of Costa Rica’s first Olympic medalist, swimmer Silvia Poll (silver in the 200 free in 1988). Claudia Poll was suspended four years for doping in 2002, though her ban was cut short on appeal in 2004.
