MADRID -- Spanish artistic swimmer Denis González has denounced insults he received on social media after he won two gold medals at the European championships.
González posted a video on his TikTok account Thursday to respond to denigrating comments left by people on the X feed for sports news by Spain's state television broadcaster.
"Are we in the 21st century or in the 10th century before Christ?" González said in his video. "These people have not earned anything in their lives and have no idea what discipline is, what hard work is. They don't know what it is to be a European champion and everything that this entails.
"They do not affect me, but I know that they would affect any boys starting artistic swimming, and I don't want that to happen."
González, 20, won gold in men's solo technical swimming and gold in mixed duet at the championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
Men's artistic swimming will make its Olympics debut next month in Paris. González has said he has opted to aim for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.