At the rate of the always fruitful national canoeing, Spain qualified for six finals on the first day of the European Games in Krakow. Although the action started on Tuesday, the opening ceremony took place yesterday. Music played, fireworks lit up Poland, and the delegation began to win. In front, one of the flag bearers, Carlos Arévalo (with Patricia Encinas), who did not fail. The K4-500, with the Galician along with Rodrigo Germade, Marcus Cooper and Saúl Craviotto, is a sure thing. “We wanted to empty ourselves to give the first squeeze. We have found ourselves very well, we have run very well. The sensations have been good, we have finished very happy, we know that we have a little more and that we have to squeeze a little more, but that must be saved for the final”, Arévalo analyzed for AS after the test, before parading with the flag.
With a time of 1:20.700, they were the fastest boat, ahead of Latvia and Lithuania. Tomorrow, they will play the final (14:25, teleport). “To me, this having a day in between, personally, I don’t like it very much, I wish I could get rid of it tomorrow. But hey, now I have to enjoy being the standard bearer at the European Games and also take advantage of all the atmosphere that exists here”, added Carlos. The C2-500, both male and female, will not have to wait. Both Pablo Martínez and Cayetano García as well as Antía Jácome and María Corbera certified yesterday their presence in the fight for the medals and they will pursue them today at 14:16 and 14:25, respectively.
In the water, national artistic swimming also had a great day. First, the free duo made up of Alisa Ozhogina and Iris Tió made it to the final (today, at 10:00, with an Olympic place at stake). Then, Spain dazzled by teams, getting the ticket to the fight for the medals with a total exhibition in the preliminary. With 303.27 points in total, they made clear their status as favorites against an Italy that was 27.84 credits away. On solid ground, Teresa Fernández-Miranda achieved the classification in BMX. “It had been a while since I competed and I felt a little insecure, but today in practice I felt more comfortable. I have come, more than anything, to enjoy it. I don’t want to feel that pressure. Tomorrow (for today) I will give the maximum that I can and I will try to scratch a few more points ”, he said ahead of the final, in which he will compete today (3:00 p.m.).
Damián Quintero, for the tic tac toe
Like Fernández-Miranda, they will have medal options this Thursday the beach handball teams, both male and female, both in the semifinalsand several shooters: Paula Grande and Jesús Oviedo in mixed team rifle, Martín Freije in the men’s 10 meter air pistol and Sonia Franquet and Irlanda Perceval in the women’s category. These last two tests, in addition, with a ticket to Paris at stake. The karate fighter will also start his way Damián Quintero, who will play his third European Games, all with gold. “I have arrived in good condition, the preparation has been good and the last official training session has gone very well, fresh and explosive,” he said yesterday from the concentration, far from the rest of the delegation, about two hours from Krakow. At 5:00 p.m., he would play the hypothetical final. Like him, in the kata modality, Paola García will seek to advance to her. Also making its debut, with the finals scheduled for today, will be the mixed springboard jumping team.