Update since original publishing: Coach Fred Vergnoux confirmed to SwimSwam that “yes, indeed, we will be doing a 5k this Saturday.”
News source nataccion.com is reporting that Spanish superstar Mireia Belmonte is scheduled to compete this weekend in her first competitive race appearance since June. Belmonte is listed within the psych sheets for the 5k Catalan Fund Winter Cup (2J COPA CATALANA FONS HIVERN) scheduled to take place in a 50m pool in Terrassa this Saturday, October 24th.
Belmonte has been out of action for most of the summer due to an ongoing shoulder injury, which was later diagnosed as bursitis. After opting out of the Mare Nostrum series and then Spanish Summer Nationals, she and her coach, Fred Vergnoux, decided to withdraw from the World Championships in Kazan in order to protect the world record holder’s chances at the 2016 Olympics. Subsequently, the Olympic medalist underwent cutting-edge stem cell therapy called Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
Just prior to her decision, Belmonte competed in the 2015 Spanish Open Water Nationals on June 21st and 22nd, where the 24 year-old finished 5th in the 10k and 2nd in the 5k. And before that outing, Belmonte competed at the Spanish Cup in early May.
As such, if Belmonte indeed swims this weekend, the race will serve as a test of sorts for her shoulder’s physical state and will give competitors a glimpse into where the multiple world championships medal winner is at in terms of preparation for Rio.
