The Spanish Open in Palma de Mallorca opens the doors to the Paris Olympic Games

The time has come. Spanish swimming is playing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games from this Tuesday to next Saturday at Palma de Mallorca Spanish Open, in Son Hugo. Olympic selection, the last chance to qualify for Paris, will play the last passports for the big national event of the year.

Selected by RFEN three selections in the Olympic qualification process, two of them have completed the Fukuoka 2023 World Cup (Olympic minimum and World Cup final requested) and the Doha 2024 World Cup (Olympic minimum requested). Behind them, there are only three swimmers who have met the elite criteria and are facing these final tests with composure.

The new world champion Hugo Gonzalez (qualified for the Games in the 100 and 200 backstroke and in the 200 medley), Carlos Garach (at 800 free) and Mario Mollá (100 butterfly) were the only swimmers who came to the Balearic event with their homework done and fully focused on Olympic preparation. They choose to achieve new minimums in different events, but no one will take their places, so the championship is also a stop for them in their preparation for the French event. They won’t be in the Open two other qualified Olympians, but in open water, María de Valdés or Ángela Martínez.

So, Hugo He led a poster where he entered the three events in which he would become an Olympic athlete, in the 200 breaststroke and 100 butterfly. Garachfor his part, will compete in the 1500 freestyle (proving that he can also swim in Paris by meeting the World Aquatics standard), the 200 freestyle and the 400 freestyle. MolláFor his part, in addition to his 100 butterfly, he will swim the 50 freestyle, the 100 freestyle and the non-Olympic 50 butterfly.

Until then, everything is clear for Spanish swimming. That’s where the cabals start. Five swimmers went to Palma de Mallorca with the slim margin of knowing they had swum to the Olympic minimums, although none of the conditions required by the RFEN because their times did not match the requested results. Therefore, everyone already has the open doors of the Games, but if they do not want the decision if they cross them to depend on the technical criteria, they have to repeat the minimum times in the Balearic lands.

goodbye by Melani Costa

The Palma de Mallorca Summer Open will be special for a legend of Spanish swimming like Melani Costa. At 35 years old, after the last part of his career he combined with Physiotherapy, the Spaniard retired from the top level with an impressive record of achievements that included his world silver in the 400 freestyle in 2013 and his world gold in the short course in the same test from 2012. He will do it before his people.

That’s where they appear Africa Zamorano in the 200 backstroke (she swam that test, the 50 and 200 freestyle and the 50 and 100 backstroke), Arbidel González (200 butterfly, in addition to 50 and 100 butterfly), Emma Carrasco (200 breaststroke and 200 medley, after swimming this year at least 400 medleys), Sergio de Celis (your 100 free, in addition to 50 and 200 free) and Carmen Weiler (50 freestyle, 200 freestyle and the three backstroke events, although his Olympic minimum of 100 backstroke is from last season). They all swam Olympic times, but only Africa has done so repeatedly this season. He has also been able to swim to the lowest Estella Tonrath in the 200 backstroke, although in a non-selective control. He will also swim the 50 and 100 backstroke and the 200 medley.

There are many other candidates

In addition to swimmers who meet the World Aquatics standard but not the RFEN, which in principle forces them to repeat the minimums, many others are seeking Olympic times for the first time in the qualification process. They come out of that group Jessica Vall (50, 100 and 200 breaststroke), Jimena Perez (400, 800 and 1500 free), Paula Otero (200, 400, 800 and 1500 free), Alba Vazquez (200 breaststroke and 200 and 400 medley) o Laura Cabanes (100 and 200 butterfly and 200 and 400 freestyle).

Also in terms of men, there are some swimmers looking for the lowest. Carlos Coll in 200 styles (also in 50 and 100 free and in 100 and 200 breaststroke) is one of the options, week after his new Spanish record of 200 breaststroke. He has also swum close to the minimum 200 freestyle. Cesar Castro (50, 100 and 200 free), with Luis Dominguez (50, 100, 200 and 400 free) as another reference. Miguel Martínez Novoa (Canoe; 200 freestyle; 100 and 200 butterfly) o Adrian Santos (Sant Andreu; 50 freestyle, 50 and 100 backstroke; 50 butterfly) are other swimmers in progress.

Far from the lowest number of times it has been shown on the road to this Open Mireia Belmonte. The Spanish champion will participate in the 400 freestyle and the 200 and 400 medley ready to see how far he can go in this selection.

In it, in addition, the selection option for relays. Spain qualified for Paris in the men’s 4×100 freestyle, the men’s 4×200 freestyle and the men’s 4×100 freestyle, in addition to the women’s 4×200 freestyle. Members’ places are not nominal and will be decided after this Open, where swimmers who qualify will be especially valued.

Therefore, although the places are open to all, this route could be a special Olympic bonus for Luis Domínguez, Sergio de Celis, Mario Mollá, César Castro and Carles Coll (4×100 freestyle); Domínguez, Castro, De Celis and Carlos Quijada (4×200 freestyle); Hugo González, Coll, Mollá and De Celis, also with Castro in Fukuoka 2023 (4×100 style), and Ainhoa ​​​​​​​​Campabadal, Alba Herrero, Paula Juste and Carla Carrón (4×200 freestyle). All options are open in a week that will decide Spanish swimming’s immediate Olympic future.