Background
Orihuela was born in Alfafar, Spain in 1987, and at age 10 he started practicing rhythmic gymnastics, a discipline largely performed by women and girls.
Orihuela was born in Alfafar, Spain in 1987, and at age 10 he started practicing rhythmic gymnastics, a discipline largely performed by women and girls.
In 2005 the Real Federación Española de Gimnasia (FEG), Spain"s gymnastics governing body, started to allow for two spots in the open modality of the national championship to be filled by men, but this was overturned in January 2009 following a statement from the International Federation of Gymnastics that "rhythmic gymnastics is a women"s sport, and that doesn"t have rules for male competition."
After the decision was heavily criticized the FEG stated that the case was being re-evaluated, and on 9 February it was announced that an official male national championship would be established, using the existing rules for the open modality. The first edition of the championship took place in May 2009, in Gijón.