At a passionate party held in the majestic Barcelona Maritime MuseumWith more than 300 guests Catalan Swimming Federation (FCN) On Thursday night he celebrated his centenary, a party in which he showed only by writing the names he attended, already his greatness and international weight, the cradle of the great successes of Spanish sport since forever. Mireya Belmonte, Gemma Mingoal, Una Carbonell or Manel Estiarte Not only were they great champions, they were the best in their sports and disciplines, and they trained in them Badalona, Barcelona and Manresa Thanks to the Catalan-first training system.
No one missed an appointment. On every table there was a story. A memory of the pioneers who were no longer with their black and white photos and their passion for water led by Bernat Becornel, even swimmers in the 1960s, such as Mr. Mikel Torres, Who won the first international medal in the European Leipzig Championship. They are all led by coach Jan Fraser, a Dutchman who came to Spain and left a legacy in subsequent generations. Like the Sante EstivaThe first international swimmer went to train in the United States and a series of misfortunes deprived him of Olympic medals in Munich in 1972. Marie Paz Corrominas, the first woman to compete in an Olympic final in Mexico 86, also wore her smile.
In the eighties, he joined the swimming water polo, which began to produce the seed that would flourish since the nineties. Estiarte is the link between the two decades, accompanied at all times Danny Ballart, Jordi Sans or Serge Pedrol, Props from Spain’s first great national team, Atlanta 96 gold and world champions in 1998 and 2001. An unparalleled team that went on to the current national team, European and World Champion runners-up, with the goal Dani Lopez Pinedo, 41, also serves as a link between the two generations.
Water polo the girls have joined since 2008. From Jennifer Barriga (absent due to her commitments with the Supreme Council for Sports) to Micah Garcia, Annie Esper, Laura Ester or Marta Bach, accompanied by newly retired Roser Tarago or Pia Ortiz. Olympic Silver Team, European and World Champion. A party the madridlin didn’t miss Billy Peña, who has been competing in Catalonia for more than a decade, as well as Toto Garcia, Jesus Rollin, Chava Gomez and Mickey Oka.
Swimming continued to be a success. Before Mireya Belmonte, Serge Lopez, Ashwin Wildeboer and Erika Villacia, even Jessica Vale who will seek today’s afternoon at the Kazan European Championships for the medal in the 200 breaststroke. They were all champions along with the incombustible synchronicity coached by Anna Tarris who from 2003 to 2012 managed to become the second best team in the world, with Gemma Mingoal, Una Carbonell or Andrew Fuentes (Absent when in the US) As banners and soloists. Some of the successes summed up in 11 Olympic medals. We have a future ahead of us so we can be optimistic.
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