"When I was European champion, most of the comments I received were insults."

BarcelonaDennis González was named the best Catalan athlete of 2024. The Rubin native shone at the European Championships in Belgrade, where he won three gold medals in technical singles, technical mixed duet, and free mixed duet. He also won two silver medals at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, one in free singles and the other in free mixed duet. However, his sporting successes had a dark side. "When I was European champion, most of the comments I received were insults. I had won a gold medal and everything was negative. It was a very difficult time. I was angry. They labeled me without knowing me, and they gave more importance to that than to the sporting success I had just achieved," he says.

The fight against homophobia has been a constant in his life. "Since I started, artistic swimming became an escape for me. When I started to make a bit of an impact, I began receiving negative comments on social media. I try to be a role model and for my work to serve as an inspiration to the next generation. If they see that I give importance to insults, they might back down. I hope no one has to go through the same thing, but it doesn't affect me. I'm going to keep doing what I love," he continues.

González participated on Saturday in a roundtable discussion at the fourth CUFADE National Congress on the importance of mental health. "When I started, I wasn't aware that mental health was so important. I like sports and, therefore, I should be enjoying it, but over the years I've learned that there are other factors that influence your performance. I've learned that things from the past can influence the present. Now I understand that I could have solved some things much better."

González's first steps in a pool were not easy. "When I was little, I suffered bullying"I was afraid that because I practiced a sport that wasn't so well-regarded, people would pick on me and judge me more. My mother was always there for me and didn't let me give up when I had doubts. She always instilled in me that whatever I start, I should finish and then I'll decide what to do next. The work of the coaches was also very inspiring," she recalls.

The Rubin native has become a role model for many young people, but he also had his inspirational athletes. "When I started, I was 13 and didn't know if I would like artistic swimming, but when I saw that Pau Ribes, who was my role model, jumped into the pool with me to support me, I was convinced. His words saying I could go very far stayed with me," admits the swimmer, who ruled out converting.

"I was afraid"

"Artistic swimming is a sport in which you spend a lot of time alone, and that wasn't easy for me. Plus, I was the only boy. I was afraid of a lot of things and didn't know how to react. Over time, I learned to live with differences, which is key to successful teamwork," González analyzes.

Despite the good sporting results and the social recognition he's achieved, his doubts haven't completely disappeared. "I've had some ups and downs where I've wanted to quit. Sometimes, because of negative comments. Other times, because of physical problems. But I've always been clear that I want to keep doing what I do," he concludes.