Vox has appointed canoeist Cristian Toro, Olympic champion at the Rio 2016 Games alongside Saúl Craviotto, as its new national spokesperson in the area of Sports, with the intention of promoting a sports policy based on “merit, health and national cohesion”.
In statements sent to the media, the medalist has indicated that he faces this responsibility “with the same discipline, the same sacrifice and the same love for Spain” that have guided his career in high competition.
He has stressed that representing Spain in an Olympic Games has been “the most important thing” of his life and that his purpose now is to transfer those principles to the political arena.
“I want sport to once again be a reason for unity and pride for Spain, not for division nor for confrontation. I want sport to continue to be governed by the merit and ability of our athletes, not by the ideology of the government in power,” he/she affirmed. “I no longer compete with an oar in my hands, but I continue rowing with the same commitment in Vox to leave a better country for our children,” he/she added.
The secretary general of Vox, Ignacio Garriga, has stressed that the incorporation of Toro means “incorporating into politics an example of effort, discipline and love for Spain”. In his view, the athlete embodies “the values” that the party intends to project in society: “Sacrifice, merit and national pride”.
Along these lines, it has insisted that “Spain needs to reposition sport at the center of public policies as a tool for health, education, and social cohesion.” “Against the ideological use of sport, Vox proposes to recover its essence: effort, overcoming, and unity,” it has asserted.
Sports measures and Vox's strategy
Vox has explained that this new spokesperson joins the 14 national sectoral spokespersons “in the party's commitment to respond to the real needs of Spaniards.” In parallel, the party of Santiago Abascal has presented “ten key measures to transform the sports model in Spain”, with the goal that sport becomes “a strategic pillar of health, education, and economic development.”
Among its lines of action, the formation proposes “to integrate sport as a fundamental tool to prevent diseases, combat sedentary lifestyles and improve the quality of life of Spaniards”, in addition to promoting a National Plan against childhood obesity “that guarantees access to sport from childhood.”
The party also proposes strengthening grassroots sports "as an element of social cohesion, reducing the tax burden on sports practice and facilitating access to educational and employment opportunities for athletes during and after their career." In this regard, it advocates for physical activity to be a "central axis of the system", with "a minimum of five hours per week of Physical Education and a greater connection between educational centers, clubs and federations."
Likewise, it defends “depoliticizing sport and ensuring that national teams represent Spain in international competitions, reinforcing national unity against concessions to separatism.” Similarly, Vox points to a “commitment to the defense of women's sport,” which, in its opinion, must be governed “by objective biological and sporting criteria to guarantee real equality in competition.”
Sports career and leap into politics
Toro, born in 1992 in the Venezuelan city of La Asunción, was proclaimed Olympic champion in Rio 2016 in the K2 200 m event alongside Saúl Craviotto and has added several international medals for the Spanish national team, with world silvers and European golds in K2 200 m and K4 500 m.
He trained in Galicia, where he began his career in canoeing, and later studied Physiotherapy at UCAM. After his time as an elite athlete, he participated in television programs such as 'Mujeres y hombres y viceversa'. His entry into politics occurred when he joined Vox's list in the 2023 Madrid municipal elections and, later, working in the party's municipal group in the capital's City Council.