The Spanish Carlos Arevalo and the Portuguese Therese Portela won the first Ciutat de Palma Canoe Trophy today, after an exciting day of competition in the Parc de la Mar, at the foot of the Cathedral of Majorca. The event, which offered a magnificent demonstration of technique and speed, marks a before and after in the conception of this sportthanks to an innovative 300 meter regatta format. With a start and finish at the same point, and an obligatory ciaboga maneuver halfway through, this new system offered a unique spectacle.
The Ciutat de Palma de Palma Canoeing, organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP), began with resounding success, bringing together thousands of citizens who came to Parc de la Mar taking advantage of the festive day. During its first edition, the event brought together the world’s elite, with an impressive track record including 30 Olympic medals and more than 380 international podiums. The event also coincided with the fortieth anniversary of the inauguration of the Parc de la Marwhose artificial lake proved to be the ideal setting to celebrate this historic day, recalling that October 12, 1984 when this emblematic space of the capital of the Balearic Islands opened its doors to the public.
During the qualifying regattas, organized between 9:00 a.m. and 11:40 a.m., unexpected surprises with the elimination of two of the big favorites among the men: Saul Craviotto, absolute reference in Spanish canoeing with six Olympic medals, and Rodrigo Germade, double Olympic medalist.
The previews of the Elite category gave way to the youth regattas, in which the basic canoeists of the main sailing clubs of the Balearic Islands were brought together. These competitions lasted until 3:30 p.m. The winners received trophies from some of their idols, who then prepared to play, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the semi-finals and the grand final of the Ciutat de Palma Trophy.
The weather conditions were allied to the organization. The sky was clear all day and it was only at the start of the competition, early in the morning, that the wind raised a few waves. In the afternoon, once the semi-finalists have been selected, The conditions were those of a flat water track. The passage to the final event was determined during regattas involving three canoeists, in which only third place was excluded. The triple Olympic medalist Marcus Cooper was one of them and had to settle for a place in the B consolation final.
Eight athletes qualified for each final (men and women). The emotion was absolute in both categories. Ciaboga’s maneuver caused a few clashes and marked the fate of the sprinters. Teresa Portela, followed on the podium by the German Jule Merlu and Danish Frederikke Mathiesenwas very pleased with her performance and the relative ease of her victory: “It was funny, because we weren’t clear on how we were going to implement the tactic. I haven’t had any problems with the ciaboga and I can’t complain. “I didn’t expect to win, but in the end it was something natural.”
Uncertainty marked the men’s final, which was decided by a short distance. The Spanish Enrique Adamwho had crossed the finish line in first position, was penalized for leaving the line at the start, which propelled Carlos Arévalo to first place, with the Mallorcan Álex Graneri in second position and German Jacob Schopf as third classified. Arévalo explained that the regatta was “very hard and very close” and that he benefited from a collision in the ciaboga: “Then I saw that I was going straight towards the finish line, I thought the final sprint was my moment and I went for it.”
Manuel Fragadirector of the RCNP, was euphoric with the welcome, both sporting and public, and hoped that the Ciutat de Palma would consolidate itself as an international benchmark event. “We set the bar very high, but this inspires and motivates us. The Parc de la Mar today demonstrates that it is a magnificent lake for canoeing. It was necessary to take risks and show imagination to adapt the format of the competition to the characteristics of the track, but it is clear that we succeeded,” said Fraga, who underlined the RCNP’s “commitment” to the field and the high level of sport, but also with the city: “.By the end of this year, we will have hosted two World Cups and a European Sailing Championship.in addition to our major annual events and this Ciutat de Palma. “The work of our club is incomparable and irreplaceable.”
