Ana Peleteiro, Mariano García, Quique Llopis, Abel Jordán and the relays, between the serious options at the European
MADRID, 5 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Athletics National Team will face the European Championship on the covered track from this Thursday until Sunday in the Dutch town of Apsoorn, where it goes with good and varied options to shine in the medaller and improve its numbers harvested two years ago in the Ataköy Arena in Istanbul.
The Netherlands is the first great stop of a quite loaded 2025 despite being post-olimpic year. In the Paris Games, national athletics was the protagonist with four medals (two golds, one silver and a bronze) and five more finalists. And although in this event ‘Indoor’ there will be no medalists María Pérez and the already retired Álvaro Martín, for not having march, or Jordan Díaz, for having resigned, Spain goes with a good team of 36 athletes (19 women and 17 men) to the first of the two important events of the now known ‘Short Track’, with the World Cup in Nanjing (China) on the horizon inside two weeks.
In the Omnisport of Apeldoorn, the selection that has been configured José Peiró hopes to continue with the good feelings he left in 2024 and improve the numbers of the previous European on the roof, where he only won two metals. They were the gold of Adrián Ben in 800 meters and the Silver of Adel Mechaal in the 3,000, both also absent on this occasion.
That journey was bittersweet for Ana Peleteiro-Compaoré. European Champion in Rome and World Bronze ‘Indoor’, in Paris 2024 he could not repeat the Podium of Tokyo 2020 –2021 by the pandemia-and decided to put a new course to his career, separating himself from the work group of Iván Pedrosa and putting himself under the orders of his husband, Benjamin Compaño.
At the moment, and despite some knee discomfort, he showed in Gallur a good level in the recent Spanish championship and took the triple jump title with 14.33 meters, the best European brand of the season and that is favorite a continental gold that in 2019 already won in Glasgow. Next to her, another good option in the jumps, can be the nationalized Lester Lescay, who debuts with the selection at the international level, and where appropriate for the length contest.
In addition to the Galician tripler, Spain goes with other bets for the medaller, as usual in the midfield and also in something more unusual such as speed tests, where national athletics is growing.
In 800 meters there is a range of candidates headed by Mariano García, world champion ‘Indoor’ and outdoors in 2022. The Murcian is not among the best brands, but in Gallur he was proclaimed national champion and evidenced his good way to fight for a podium to which the young Elvin Josué Canales aspires. The 23 -year -old Gerundense has been one of the sensations of 2025 with his record in Spain of 1: 44.65, best European brand of the year and will have to endorse in a demanding race and in whose fight he will want to be the veteran Álvaro from above.
It will not be in this test Mohamed Attaoui, another athlete who showed a great level in 2024 with his silver and his fifth Olympic position in the 800 m. The Cantabrian Midfondista will run on this occasion on 1,500, where he will have to measure himself with rivals of a lot of entity like the Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigttsen. At the female level, the competitive Marta García, Continental Bronze last year in the 5,000, and Águeda Marqués, who raised at high level in the JJ.oo., will look for their place among the best of the 3,000.
As for pure speed, Spain also has podium aspirations, both in the three 4×400 relays and at the individual level in the 60 meters fences and 60 meters smooth, thanks to Quique Llopis and Abel Jordán. The Valencian, who touched the medal in Paris 2024 after being a European runner -up at 110 MV weeks before, was the fourth world on the roof last year and arrives in goodbye in good shape after winning last week in Gallur during the last stop of the Gold Circuit in the World Indoor Tour, matching the record of Spain (7.48).
Next to him, and in addition to Asier Martínez, there will be the young Abel Jordan, the only one of the Spanish expedition that will double tests in 60 MV and in some 60 smooth where in theory he could have more options; There he arrives with the best mark of the season, the 6.54 with whom he was proclaimed champion of Spain, tied with the Swedish Henrik Larsson. Meanwhile, Maribel Pérez will seek to rub shoulders with the best in the female distance.
-Selection for the European Athletics on the covered track.
-WOMEN.
60 m: Jaël-Sakura Bestué and Maribel Perez.
400 m: Paula Sevilla, Blanca Hervás and Eva Santidrián.
800 m: Lorea Ibarzabal, Daniela García and Marta Mitjans.
1500 m: Esther Guerrero and Marina Martínez.
3000 m: Águeda Marqués, Marta García and Idaira Prieto.
Longitud: Fátima Diaame e Irati Mitxelena.
Triple: Ana Peleteiro.
4×400 m: Carmen Avilés, Daniela Fra, Blanca Hervás, Herminia Parra, Eva Santidrián and Paula Sevilla.
-MEN.
60 m: Guillem Crespí and Abel Alejandro Jordán.
400 m: Iñaki Cañal, Markel Fernández and Óscar Husillos.
800 m: Álvaro de Arriba, Elvin Josué Canales and Mariano García.
1500 m: Mohamed Attaoui and Funny Ignata.
60 MV :: Abel Alejandro Jordán, Asier Martínez and Enrique Llopis.
Length: Jaime Guerra and Lester Lescay.
4×400 M: Iñaki Cañal, Bernat Erta, Manuel Guijarro, Markel Fernández, Óscar Husillos and Gerson Pozo.
4×400 m mixed: all members of the male and female 4×400 m.