Manuel Diaz dreams of representing Venezuela in the Olympics but thinks he needs to improve his times and get more international experience. So he is among dozens of swimmers competing in a multi-sport event being put on by Venezuela this month that is part athletics and part geopolitics.
The 16-year-old Diaz will swim the 200-meter individual medley and 200-meter butterfly for the experience more than to earn any medal at the fifth edition of the Alba Games, whose participants represent Latin American and Caribbean nations in the left-leaning Alba alliance and this year's guest country, Russia.
