Maspalomas Open Water Gran Canaria conquers San Bartolomé de Tirajana

 

The 13th edition of the Maspalomas Open Water Gran Canaria will fill the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana this Saturday with the best sport and the overwhelming energy of open water lovers with its 7.400-metre, 2.000-metre and 1.000-metre events, which will have a finish line surrounded by world champions at the iconic Maspalomas Lighthouse. 

 

This Saturday, September 14, the hundreds of competitors will be welcomed by the world swimming champion David Meca , godfather of the event, and the psychologist, Olympic swimmer, world champion and four-time European champion, Erika Villaécija , as godmother, who will join the great swimming party in the most sustainable edition in the history of the event.

 

The trophy was made from plastics collected during the previous edition , creating an award that gives new life to the event's waste and represents a milestone for the circular economy. Similarly, the challenge undertaken by the organizers goes even further, with t-shirts made entirely from recycled materials.

 

In 2024, the Maspalomas Open Water Gran Canaria not only embraced this new challenge of complete respect for the environment and the natural surroundings, but also solidified its position as an unrivaled open water swimming event in the Canary Islands. This competition once again stands out for its high participation of female swimmers , as well as for being fully inclusive, with athletes with disabilities , both international and national, competing at the starting line.

 

A race for all abilities, styles, tastes, and ages, with an " unparalleled " finish, as described by world champion and patron David Meca . The international swimming star and leading figure in the discipline will welcome the swimmers alongside his longtime training partner, Spanish psychologist and athlete Erika Villaécija, whose achievements include four Olympic Games, a world championship title, and four European championship titles, among others.

 

 

As Erika Villaécija emphasized at a press conference, “we are united by our passion for open water swimming,” and she expressed her gratitude for being able to share that excitement and magical moment with the hundreds of participants. “We are going to enjoy it,” she added.

 

The organiser of the event and manager of Top Time Events, Pablo González Cardona, has highlighted that the Maspalomas Open Water Gran Canaria is moving towards obtaining ISO recognition for its work and commitment to sustainability, a recognition that very few sporting events have. The organiser has celebrated that this crossing “has been designed for all abilities, from champions to those who try the adventure of open water for the first time” with modalities for all levels. Among the objectives of the event, he has underlined the value of Maspalomas as a first-class sports destination and the pillars that move the organisation, such as camaraderie, effort, work, respect, discipline, self-confidence, dedication, fair play, recognition of a job well done and overcoming, through the practice of open water swimming, one of the most versatile and healthy disciplines that exist.  

 

For his part, the Councillor for Sports of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Aridany Romero, has expressed his “satisfaction” at the return of this event that takes the “promotion of physical activity on the island” to another level, with an event that is “of international interest” and that generates “economy and jobs”. He has applauded the great reception of this event by female swimmers, which is “a double satisfaction” for Gran Canaria.

 

The first deputy mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Alejandro Marichal , echoed the words of David Meca and Erika Villaécija, celebrating that the event is returning to the municipality for another year, making it a "leading tourist and sports destination" and the epicenter of the best outdoor sports in Spain.

 

Starting from Pajar beach and finishing at the emblematic Maspalomas Lighthouse, the first to test the waters of the southern municipality will be the participants in the 7.400-metre event, who will begin the course at 9.30:XNUMX a.m., with the starting shot of this edition, which includes three epic circuits, a massage area, food trucks, live music, a children's area and much more.

 

 

The Maspalomas Open Water Gran Canaria is organised by the company Top Time Eventos, promoter of the event, with the support of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council and its tourist brand Maspalomas Costa Canaria, in addition to the support of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through the European Island of Sport programme, the Gran Canaria Island Institute of Sports and Tourism, as well as the Government of the Canary Islands, Canary Islands Tourism, the Government of Spain and collaborating companies.