The XII Maspalomas Open Water already has its unbeatable champions: Eduard Mannanov and Elena Sarmiento

Unbeatable and solid, the Atlantic has not been an obstacle for the leaders of the iconic Maspalomas Open Water, which has filled the beaches of San Bartolomé de Tirajana with a great outdoor sports festival. Eduard Mannanov and Elena Sarmiento Guerra crossed the finish line after the 7.400 meters of the queen event among confetti, music and the applause of thousands of people, under the emblematic Maspalomas Lighthouse, the scene of this twelfth edition of the Maspalomas swimming crossing .

 

A spectacular start, the best sporting atmosphere, blue sky and the sea providing perfect conditions for practicing swimming in open waters, the nearly 400 participants have taken on the challenge in its three modalities and in the male and female categories, surrounded by bathers, neighbors and tourists in this annual spectacle on the coast of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. 

 

 

More than 110 participants covered the 7.400 meters that separate El Pajar beach and the Maspalomas Lighthouse, with Eduard Mannanov once again leading the men's peloton with a time of 1 hour 24 minutes and 15 seconds (1h24'15”) and advancing without rival in an impeccable season for the Russian swimmer from the Metropole Club. Elena Sarmiento Guerra in girls premiered the finish line film, exceeding all expectations. 

 

Eduard Mannanov, who has already won the Las Canteras Open Water and San Cristóbal Open Water trophy, continues undeniably on the circuit, separating himself from the group with an infallible technique from the first control of Pasito Blanco, where he already set a heart-stopping time of 55 minutes and 59 seconds. 

 

 

He was closely followed by his toughest rival, the young Yaré Cocera Cordón, who stepped onto the sand in a time of 1 hour, 32 minutes and 24 seconds (1h 32' 24”), leaving behind a tough battle for third place. . Hywel Davies, from the Resis4 group, had to give his all in a last sprint between several swimmers, to close with 1 hour 37 minutes (1h37'14”) and just a few seconds ahead.

 

 

The girls were guided by the sporting talent of Elena Sarmiento Guerra, who, stroke by stroke, separated herself from her rivals to raise the ribbon with a time of 1 hour 52 minutes and 3 seconds (1h52'03”). They were followed at the finish line at the Maspalomas Lighthouse by María Tatiana Mujica González (2h 01'29”) and Yaritza Nazaret Felipe Rodríguez (2h10'22”) in third place.

 

Since the swimmers began to appear on the horizon, heading towards the Lighthouse, the coast of San Bartolomé de Tirajana burst into applause, a warm welcome for the warriors of this star modality. Expectation and encouragement from the shore to welcome the participants, who completed this great challenge with contagious joy.

 

 

Starting from Meloneras beach, the morning maintained the very high sporting level with the 2.000 meter test, with nearly 200 participants in the water to face their challenge with the Atlantic. The 2.000 meters modality surrendered to the speed of Jeremy Tomás Peña Rodríguez, who arrived at the Maspalomas Lighthouse with a time of 23 minutes and 58 seconds (23'58”). He was accompanied on the podium in second position by the swimmer Álvaro Winter, who had to give his best version to gain a place on the demanding podium of this twelfth edition of the Maspalomas Open Water, with a recorded time of 24 minutes and 16 seconds (24 '16"). The pin on the men's podium in the 2.000 meter distance was in the hands of Pedro Juan Castro Tarajano, who came in third position to take the bronze by achieving a time of 25 minutes and 26 seconds (25'26").

 

 

In the women's category, the 2.000 meters received its new queen for 2023, Irene Artiles Carballo, who led the category with a cumulative time of 28 minutes and 14 seconds (28'14"). She was accompanied at the top of the podium on this summer morning and blue sky in Maspalomas by Raquel Ruíz Artiles (28'43”), also from CN Las Palmas, and Natalia Suárez Guillén, from Swim & Train Maspalomas, with a time of 33 minutes. and 38 seconds. 

 

The most explosive, 1.000 meters of spectacle

 

The historic David Meca did not stop applauding the newcomers, in order to receive the participants of one of the most popular tests. The first to meet the 28-time world champion was Lucas Henríquez García, from CN Las Palmas, who led this modality as the fastest with a time of 11 minutes and 37 seconds. Second position has eluded the local team, with Federico Vaccari, stopping the time at 12 minutes and 15 seconds (12'15”), followed by Sergio Carmelo Ramírez Morales (12'21”).

 

The fastest distance of the Maspalomas Open Water, the 1.000 meters, has been led in the women's category by the fastest swimmer of 2023, Olivia Aguiar Espino (12'41”), new champion of the Maspalomas Open Water. The European champion, Laura Roca, has been the best of welcomes for these water titans, who have been congratulated by the also two-time Olympian on her arrival at the finish line, which was won in second place by Julia Bello Codina (12'42” ) and Isabel Díaz Cruz (13'06”) in third place.

The Maspalomas Open Water, organized by Top Time Eventos, is possible thanks to the support of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, from Turismo Gran Canaria and the Insular Sports Institute and the European Sports Island program, in addition to the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council, with the collaboration of HolidayWorld Maspalomas Center, RIU Hotel & Resorts, Hospiten Roca, Coca-Cola, Cruz Roja, Macías Gil Events Canarias, Grupo Monpex, Vistaflor Bungalows Maspalomas, Il Duomo di Milano, Sabina, Sailfish, and the Begoña Ferrero Massage School , among others.