An Olympic swimmer was left angry after her baby was banned from the Tokyo Games.
Spanish synchronized swimming captain Ona Carbonell, 31, has been banned from taking her one-year-old son to Tokyo 2020 and says she's been "made to choose" between her family and her sporting dreams.
A lack of facilities and Covid regulations have made it impossible for many athletes to take their children to this year's games.
Now, the London 2012 silver medalist has slammed the Games chiefs in a video posted to social media.
Watch the Olympian hit back below:The athlete, who is currently breastfeeding, said: "When I gave birth to Kai and saw that I was getting fit and that I could make it to the Tokyo Games, the first thing I did was ask if I could take him because I was breastfeeding him, and they told me no.
"A few weeks ago, some athletes said on social media that it is a difficult situation having to choose between breastfeeding and family considerations and the Olympic Games."
Carbonell spoke with the Spanish Olympic Committee who "helped a lot" after she received complaints from various other athletes.
The doting mother also contacted the Higher Sports Council and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and it was the latter who put their foot down when it came to her child.
Carbonell said that the Japanese government's regulations are "incompatible with being able to perform at the Olympic Games and with your family being the best it can be."
The Barcelona-born athlete added: "The conditions are that Pablo [her partner and father of her son] and Kai would have to be in a hotel.
"We don't know how far from the villa and they couldn't leave the hotel in the 20-odd days that I am in Tokyo. And to go breastfeed Kai I would have to leave the villa, go out of my bubble and go to the hotel.
"It would put the team at risk in the Olympics, which is a goal that we have been fighting for a long time. But at the same time, I think it is inappropriate for them to not be able to leave the room for so many days."
She has now made the difficult decision to leave her son in Spain while she goes to Tokyo to compete.
However, she said that the experience has "left a really bad taste", as she can no longer maintain her son's breastfeeding routine - "something that matters a lot to me."
The Olympic star concluded: "I hope this serves for the future, for the next Games and for other upcoming competitions."
.jpg_LAqQrJ?tr=h-184)
