By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF

Mexican diver and two-time Olympic medalist Paola Espinosa announced Monday, May 9, that she is retiring from the sport after more than two decades in competitions.

The first and only Mexican to win a World Swimming Championship, both in individual and synchronized events, Espinosa said in a video conference Monday that she was withdrawing from the sport for “personal reasons” at age 35.

She also said that she “was disappointed in Mexican sports authorities,” without mentioning the current head of Mexico’s National Sports Commission (Conade), Ana Guevara, with whom she has had numerous run-ins.

Guevara, a former Olympians and senator, has been embroiled in countless controversies of misallocations of funds and alleged acts of extortion.

She has also faced criminal charges over an alleged illicit association, bribery and for reportedly falsifying official documents.

She was appointed to the head of Conade by leftist Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), who has defended her despite these criminal charges.

Espinosa said that “this is the worst administration in Mexican history.”

“Officially I say goodbye to platforms and diving boards,” she said.

“I think I left an important mark in Mexican sports.”

In the year prior to Tokyo 2020, in which Espinosa did not participate, Espinosa had differences with Guevara, who refused to support the diver to represent Mexico.

In addition to her two Olympic medals for synchronized diving, Espinosa boasts four medals in jousting, plus one gold and one bronze in the individual diving platform.

She holds a bronze metal from the Beijing 2008 platform, along with Tatiana Ortiz, and a silver from the London 2012 event, with Alejandra Orozco.