This is the path of Spanish swimming towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

A few days ago, Spanish swimming faced the second of its three selection tests for Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Doha World Cup. This resulted in two pre-classified after the minimum Carlos Garach in the 800 freestyle and Mario Mollá in the 100 butterfly. The two joined forces with Hugo González on the pre-list for Paris. All this takes into account the pool, because María de Valdés, Ángela Martínez and Garach, due to the presence of minimal depth, are classified in open water.

RFEN still has to announce it, with an additional four relays (three men and one woman) earning an Olympic place. The possibilities to configure them are many. Although one of the biggest doubts is What will the RFEN do with swimmers who meet the Olympic minimum but do not strictly adhere to its own selection criteria?: Arbidel González, África Zamorano, Carmen Weiler, Emma Carrasco and Sergio de Celis, each with their own conditions, meet the World Aquatics qualification criteria, but it remains to be seen if the RFEN will consider the these or make them pass through Summer Open, last Olympic selective from June 18 to 22, to find your inner standard.

This should be noted Palma de Mallorca is open will match with Belgrade European. Therefore, only swimmers who have already been selected for the Olympic event will have the option to go to Serbia. This is the Spanish way to Paris.

3 INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERS FOR PARIS 2024

As announced by RFEN, the Fukuoka 2023 World Cup has been selected (minimum and final requirement), the Doha 2024 World Cup (minimum requested) and the 2024 Summer Open (minimum requested, in June). After the first two competitions, three swimmers meet the pre-selection criteria, waiting to become a selection in the coming days:

-Hugo González (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and 200 medley): He made the final and minimum in the 200 backstroke and the 200 medley at Fukuoka 2023 and achieved the minimum in the 100 backstroke at Doha 2024

-Carlos Garach (800 free): Doha 2024 minimum achieved

-Mario Mollá (100 butterfly): Minimum achieved in Doha 2024

5 SWIMMERS WHO MEET WORLD AQUATICS INDIVIDUAL CRITERIA BUT NOT RFEN

There are other swimmers who meet the requirements required by the international federation to compete in the Olympic Games. However, they did not meet the exact preselective conditions requested by the Spanish organization. It is necessary to see if their hours are considered and included. on the Olympic team:

-Arbidel González (200 butterfly): The Olympic minimum was achieved at the Fukuoka 2023 World Cup, but without the added criterion of the top 8. It is necessary to see if the RFEN recovers that time or it calls the Summer Open. He was only a semi-finalist in Doha.

– African Zamorano (200 back): Same case with Arbidel. He made the minimum in Fukuoka and was in the semi-finals again in Doha, although this time there was no minimum. His time is valid for World Aquatics, but in principle not for RFEN because he did not make it to the final in Japan.

-Carmen Weiler (100 back): Olympic minimum achieved at 2023 Spring Open, already in World Aquatics qualification period but not at RFEN.

-Emma Carrasco (400 style): He achieved the Olympic minimum at the Spanish Winter Championships, already in 2024, but it is not designated as an elite competition in the RFEN internal standard. With a record that would have earned him a medal at the Doha World Cup, he will have to wait to see if the federation body will certify it or if, like his teammates, it will place him in the Summer Open.

-Sergio de Celis (100 free): Same case with Emma. He reached the minimum Olympic in Sabadell, with a Spanish record, but this competition in principle does not select for RFEN. If the logic of validating her minimum is met, De Celis will no longer be an additional swimmer for the relays, opening the doors for other teammates’ Olympic presence.

With these five swimmers, Carlos Garach He swam the Olympic minimum 800 freestyle at the 2023 Spring Open. Being classified in the 1500 freestyle, in principle he should be able to add this event to his program. It is expected that Emma Carrasco can also add 200 styles, with a minimum B, if her minimum A in the long test is confirmed.

4 CLASSIFIED RELAYS: POSSIBILITY OF 8 ADDITIONAL SWIMMERS

Spain definitely classed the men’s 4×100 freestyle, 4×200 freestyle and 4×100 medley relay. Furthermore, also in women’s 4×200 freestyle. It allows to carry eight additional swimmers who do not participate in individual events (two in each relay). It should be noted that there is still the Spanish Open in June for some of the additional swimmers to try to make the individual minimums and free up a place based on that criteria. Besideswe are waiting to see if World Aquatics will remove this standard for additional swimmers.

If it is maintained, it is to be expected Additional places gained in the men’s relay may be used for the women’s relay., because in principle not all extra places in men’s relays can be filled. Of course, we also have to see Whether the RFEN puts individual places in the relays into contention or whether it selects swimmers who have qualified for them. If we start with the second case:

-4×100 men’s freestyle: Place taken by Luis Domínguez, Sergio de Celis, Mario Mollá and César Castro, along with Carles Coll. Mollá and De Celis have individual minimums, so while waiting for Sergio’s to be validated, two additional swimmers will be added for now.

-4×200 men’s freestyle: Place won by Luis Domínguez, César Castro, Sergio de Celis and Carlos Quijada. With De Celis at the minimum and Domínguez as a possible addition in the 4×100 freestyle, two additional swimmers will be added for now. César Castro reached the individual minimum in Sabadell.

-4×100 men’s freestyle: Place taken by Hugo González, Carles Coll, Mario Mollá and Sergio de Celis. In the Hugo and Mollá classifieds and also in De Celis with a minimum and in normal indoor conditions, only a maximum of one additional swimmer will be added.

In this way, of the six possible additional swimmers, always start with the formations that have qualified for the relays and at the expense of possible changes, enough for Spain already Luis Domínguez, César Castro, Carlos Quijada and Carles Colla total of four.

-4×200 women’s freestyle: Place won by Ainhoa​​​​​​Campabadal, Alba Herrero, Paula Juste and Carla Carrón. None of them, in the absence of the Spanish Open in June, have minimums. So, if in the end there is no transfer of free places between the men’s and women’s relays, Spain can call two additional swimmers and confirm the participation of África Zamorano and Carmen Weiler in this relay, both with minimum World Aquatics (Africa, with the drawback that this relay matches the calendar in Paris with its 200 backstroke). If this transfer of free places between men and women is maintained, there will be an option to use the two extra places in the women’s relay and the remaining two in the men’s relay. call four swimmers for this test.