Accustomed as we are to seeing him almost always wearing that characteristic smile and taking blows naturally, it is difficult to imagine Iñaki Artola dejected … despite the fact that injuries have followed him throughout his already long career. Nobody forgets that Manomanista final that could not play in 2021 due to a torn fiber in the latissimus dorsi. But beyond that setback, the Alegian’s career, especially in Parejas, has been a true via crucis. The fracture of the distal phalanx of the fourth finger of his left hand has been the latest chapter in a long list of mishaps that have led him to miss 21% of the matches in this competition, a percentage that may increase if, as it seems, this latest setback goes beyond this matchday.
Artola began competing as a starter in Parejas in 2015, partnering with Albisu, his partner for the first three years. In that first edition he played 15 games, but was dropped in two due to bad hands.
A year later he repeated the numbers, missing two matches due to the flu and a dislocation of the ring finger on his right hand.
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2015
15 played and 2 out -
2016
15 played and 2 out -
2017
5 played and 9 out -
2018
2 played and 0 out -
2019
13 played and 1 out -
2020
14 played and 1 out -
2021
7 played and 7 out -
2024
18 played and 1 out -
2025
13 played and 5 out -
2026
9 played and 2 out
Things were even worse in Couples 2017 where he was only able to play five games, causing him to miss another nine due to an injury that occurred on the third day at the Ederrena de Urretxu when he won 10-11 against Elezkano II and Zabaleta. The Gipuzkoan striker, who had not been able to be present in the Cuatro y Medio due to a calcification in his right elbow for which he underwent surgery and which kept him in the dry dock for more than three months, hit his shoulder against the left wall trying to return a drop shot by Elezkano II and a shoulder dislocation occurred that forced him to be out for two and a half months during which he was replaced by Víctor.
In 2018 he was not a starter, but played two games as a substitute before returning in 2019 with Mariezkurrena II as a defender. Both played together in 13 games with only one absence from Alegia due to problems with his right hand.
The next edition did not go badly either, playing 14 games and only missing the last match of the first phase due to a sprained wrist.
However, in 2021 the problems returned and Artola was only able to appear in half of his matches when he suffered a fibrillar tear in the femoral biceps of his right thigh in Bizkaia during a match against Urrutikoetxea and Imaz.
He would not play the next two editions to return in 2024 with Imaz and achieve his most regular championship with 18 games played out of 19. Of course, he missed the first day of the playoff due to gastroenteritis that did not prevent him from being present in the semifinal group.
Last year he reached his first final with Mariezkurrena II after missing five games due to a torn fiber in his hamstrings.
And in this edition he has already lost two due to bad hands and will add at least a third due to the fracture. The ordeal does not stop.
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