With Spanish Open Water Nationals having concluded last week, the Spanish Swimming Federation has finalized its lineup for the 5k, 10k and 25k events at the 2015 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships.
The men’s roster includes Antonio Arroyo, the winner of the men’s 5k race last weekend in a final time of 56:37.50. Arroyo most recently earned silver in the 1500m freestyle at Spain’s Short Course Nationals last December and finished 16th at the European Championships in the 5k last year in Berlin.
Hector Ruiz will be Spain’s representative in the men’s 10k, after having claimed gold last weekend at Nationals in a time of 1:52.59. Ruiz’s victory has extra meaning for the Spaniard after missing out of last year’s European Championships due to acute bronchitis.
For the women, both Mireia Belmonte and Erika Villaecija will be racing the 5k open water event at Worlds, finishing last weekend in a super close time span of just two one-hundredths of a second. Villaecija slammed the touchpad in 59:10.85 to Belmonte’s 59:10.87. Among her in-pool medals at last year’s European Championships, Belmonte claimed a bronze in the 5k open water event behind Germany’s Isabelle Harle and the Netherlands’ Sharon Van Rouwendaal, while Villaecija finished in 8th overall in Berlin.
Villaecija will also be contesting the women’s 10k open water swim and will be joined by Maria Vilas in representing Spain. Vilas brought home the 10k victory last weekend as the only swimmer to dip beneath the 2:00-threshold, clocking a time of 1:58.39 for the win. Villaecija finished runner-up in that race, but was Spain’s highest 10k finisher at last year’s European Championships, finishing 7th overall.
Margarita Dominguez, who earned 5th in the 25k at 2014 European Championships, will be the sole Spanish swimmer to race the same event at the 2015 World Open Water Championships.
Full Roster Below
Antonio Arroyo, men’s 5k
Hector Ruiz, men’s 10k
Mireia Belmonte, women’s 5k
Erika Villaecija, women’s 5k, women’s 10k
Margarita Dominguez, women’s 25k
