Current world champion in the men's 200m backstroke Hugo Gonzalez This article tops the provisional roster of five Spanish swimmers selected by the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation (RFEN) earlier this month to represent them at this summer's Paris Olympics.
Mr. Gonzalez also joins us. Mario Mora Yanez (Men's 100 Butterfly), carlos galac (Men's 800 freestyle, 1500 free), maria de valdez (Women's 10km), Angela Martinez (Women's 10km). RFEN will announce the full squad of swimmers after the Spanish Olympic Trials, scheduled for June 18-22. The eligible lineups for the men's 4×100 freestyle relay, men's 4×200 free relay, men's 4×100 medley relay, and women's 4×200 free relay have not yet been announced.
This will be Gonzalez's third Olympics, and he has qualified for the 100 back (52.70), 200 back (1:55.30) and 200 IM (1:56.58). The 25-year-old from Palma de Mallorca won his first world title in the 200m back last month, setting his first personal best in the event since winning the world junior title in 2017. If Gonzalez wins a medal at this summer's Olympics, he will become the first Spanish man to reach the podium in a pool event since 1992 (Martin Lopez-Zubero 200 bucks).
Gonzalez also set a lifetime best on his way to the 100m silver medal, just two-hundredths behind his California training partner. hunter armstrong (52.68) at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. His 200IM qualifying time is from last summer's 2023 World Championship semifinals.
Gonzalez wasn't the only Spaniard to win a medal at last month's world championships. De Valdez, 25, made her history in Doha by becoming runner-up in the 10km (1:57:26.9) behind the Dutch Olympic champion, becoming the first Spanish woman to reach the open water podium at the world championships. Minced. Sharon van Rouwendael.
The 20-year-old Martinez finished in 13th place (1 minute 57.36.6 seconds), about 10 seconds behind de Valdez, earning him a ticket to Paris.
Mora Yanez, a Barcelona native who attends Virginia Tech, reached the A finals at last month's world championships in the 50 fly (23.29) and 100 fly (51.72 after a personal best of 51.48 in the semifinals).
Gallach, the youngest of the group at 19, placed 15th in the 800 free (7:50.56) and 19th in the 1500 free (15:16.00) at last month's world championships. Her best time in the 1500 free last March (14:57.23) was several seconds below her Olympic “A” cut (15:00.99).
Spain's Olympic swimming team to be led by former Canadian coach Ben TitleyOriginally from the UK, he will be appointed to the Sant Cugat National Training Center in 2022. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Spain sent a 10-strong team and ended up producing several individual finalists, but there were no medals at the Games.
