The Spanish swimming delegation will return from the Budapest 2022 World Cup with at least one medal, the bronze medal that was won by the women of the artistic swimming team in the Highlight final. The Spanish team achieved 91.9333 points, close to Italy, silver with 92.2667. Gold went to Ukraine, with 95.0333.
Spain repeats the bronze in this new Highlight test that it already achieved in the last Gwangju 2019 World Cup, when they performed the same song Thunderstruck by the heavy band AC/DC. Then, two years ago, gold and silver had the same recipients, with the absences -also- of Russia, Japan and China.
On this occasion, the Spanish team was already aiming for a medal in the preliminary performance, in which it was third. Paula Ramírez, one of the 10 swimmers in the group, even aspired to chase the silver in Italy, which she had only 2 tenths away.
“We have felt strong and with a lot of energy in the water, but we have things to improve. It is very positive that we are only 3 tenths from silver without having done our best exercise. And we are also very clear about what we can improve”, explained Ramírez on the website of the Spanish Swimming Federation (RFEN).
“It is one of the times that we are more ‘aggressive’, with more security and ambition. We feel stronger to attack Italy”. In the end they were only 3 tenths of the silver.
The Spanish team that won the bronze is made up of swimmers Cristina Arambula, Abril Conesa, Berta Ferreras, Emma Garcia, Mireia Hernández, Txell Mas, Alisa Ozhogina, Paula Ramírez, Iris Tió and Blanca Toledano, the usual members of the artistic team.
Spanish swimming, which closes its participation in the online events this Saturday, says goodbye to Budapest without a medal, for the first time since the Perth World Cup in 1998. Nor has it managed to put any of its six swimmers called by the Federation.
The medal options in the rest of the disciplines are minimal: water polo remains, current runners-up in the world for both teams, with the women's in the round of 16 (against Kazakhstan, easy), but with the horizon of the USA (current champion) in rooms; and the men's also alive (playing against Italy for first place in the group). In open water and in jumps, the chances of a medal are remote.
