The Spanish team makes its debut at the European Games with seven medals and has the option of another two gold medals tonight in beach handball
MADRID, 22 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish delegation shone this Thursday at the start of the European Games in Krakow (Poland), a day with a shower of medals, seven, and special mention to the gold medals in karate for Damián Quintero and Paola García, in addition to the good harvest of canoeing , artistic swimming and diving, while beach handball can put a golden icing on the night session.
Quintero and García overcame their three group stage clashes with authority and, in search of the medal, climbed to the top. “I’ve been there for eight years, very happy. The semifinals got a bit stuck for me but I enjoyed the final. Last year continuity was very difficult for me and this 2023 is being very good, all medals,” said the man from Malaga.
The Olympic runner-up defeated Turkish Ali Sofuoglu in the men’s kata final with a score of 44.60 to clinch his third title in a row, after leaving behind that demanding ‘semi’ against Italian Mattia Busato. For her part, García from Extremadura completed a round day with gold after defeating the French Helvetia Taily with a score of 43.90.
Meanwhile, canoeing was once again a source of success for Spanish sport by adding two silver medals this Thursday, the first day with medals at stake after the opening on Wednesday. The two C2-500 boats, made up of Cayetano García and Pablo Martínez and Antía Jácome and María Corbera, each won silver.
The men’s duo, who reached the final directly, stopped the clock at 1:40.513, compared to the 1:40.168 that Italy signed to win gold and enduring a strong sprint against Poland. Meanwhile, Antía and María, winners of their series, fought the final fight with the Ukrainian duo that took the gold by centimeters.
On the other hand, with the honor in addition to the fact that it was the medal that opened the Spanish record in Krakow, Emma García and Dennis González climbed to the second step of the podium in the mixed duo category. The artistic swimming duo achieved a total of 216.5867 points, only behind Italy, with 242.3599.
In addition, the national team of jumps, Valeria Antolino, Rocío Velázquez, Carlos Camacho and Alberto Arévalo, hung the bronze medal in the 3m/10m mixed test by achieving 381.45 points, behind Ukraine and Italy. Meanwhile, Paula Grande and Jesús Oviedo had to settle for silver in the 10-meter air rifle, after losing the mixed team final against Hungary (7-17).
The day still has two serious Spanish options to give an even bigger blow to the medal table, since the men’s and women’s beach handball teams have an appointment with gold in finals at night, against Hungary and Denmark.