Far from the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées, the scene of the Olympic Games organized this summer in Paris, the Spanish flag once again climbed onto the podium last August in Latvia, where the Spanish army took first place in a tough competition. “Baltic Warrior” faced by members of the armed forces of several NATO countries.
The traditional “Baltic warrior” is celebrated at the Adazi basewhere the Atlantic Alliance has deployed a mission to deter the Russian threat. Spain is participating in this multinational battalion with more than 600 soldiers and a large deployment of material resources, such as Leopard battle tanks and an air defense system.
The military competition pits two hundred and seventy teams made up of pairsamong which the Spanish stood out, reaching the podium in all categories.
The test pushes the soldiers’ resistance to the extreme with a demanding sporting sequence: a walk on foot of just over sixteen kilometers with a heavy backpack, take a canoetake it to the river and paddle another eleven kilometers, leave the river and continue a few more kilometers carrying the canoe and run until you reach the goal on the beach
In the men’s race, pairs of Spanish soldiers occupied the first, second and third place on the podium. In the women’s category, the Spanish women took second place; while in the mixed teams, second and third behind a Latvian team. In the master category (they are both over forty years old) first and second place; and in the team category, first and third place.
Spanish soldiers on the podium of the “Baltic Warrior”
In addition to the competitive component, the race includes a solidarity aspectas the participants carried non-perishable food in their backpacks, which the organization will then donate to an orphanage in Latvia.
