Kennedy Hope Denby and Carlos Vizcaíno have won the El Río 2022 swimming crossing held this Sunday, October 16.
The absolute victory in the general classification was obtained by Kennedy Hope Denby, a young junior who covered the 2,600 meters of the course between Bajo El Risco beach (Lanzarote) and the finish line of Caleta de Sebo (La Graciosa) in 33 minutes and 5 seconds, becoming the second woman to win the event. Almost a minute later, the swimmer Carlos Vizcaíno Rogil (34:03), first in the men's category and also a junior, stepped on the sand of La Graciosa.
The men's podium was completed by Hugo Rijo Martín (34:19) and Óscar Pérez Muñoz (34:20). While Kennedy Hope Denby was accompanied on the women's podium by Nadia Martin Christiansen (35:57) and Sybille Bouchet (39:23).
Víctor Guillén Peña (34:44) -fifth overall- was the first Master to cross the finish line in this Sunday's competition; and Lionel Morales González (tenth with 38:09) was the first in the adapted category to get out of the water. As a curiosity, it should be noted that Ana Olivera García (1:19:41) was the last of the participants to stop the clock, among the 275 athletes who concluded this outstanding event with swimming and sports promotion.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, and the Minister of Sports of the Institution, Alfredo Mendoza, publicly congratulate the participants and the winners of this event, a classic in the regional calendar of open water events that returned after the impact of the pandemic.
As usual, the awards ceremony promoted by the Cabildo of Lanzarote was held in the early afternoon on the lively esplanade of the Caleta de Sebo pier.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, congratulated the winners, especially the young Kennedy, the second woman to win this crossing, in 1998 Tammy Lewis won it, and has described the edition as "very successful". And not only because of the high participation and the excellent weather conditions during its dispute. Also for "the preventive involvement shown by the security and emergency teams, a task not easy due to the concentration of athletes in a short period of time, and in the sea", said the island official before highlighting "the positive impact" of the Travesía El Río in the promotion of sport and in the economic activity of La Graciosa. "We are clear that in events such as the Travesía a Nado El Río or the Desafío Octava Isla, from the Cabildo we are going to redouble our efforts to continue promoting it as the main organizer, because they respond to the rational use of protected spaces that we defend in Lanzarote and La Graciosa".
The Minister of Sports, Alfredo Mendoza, in addition to conveying his congratulations to participants and winners, today stressed the "excellent organization" that the massive event exhibited: "It has been a day of tribute to sport and the environment, for the environment where the Travesía El Río takes place, a meeting that has also been accompanied by good weather", Mendoza noted, who added in the section of thanks a special one for the organization executed by the Insular Sports Service. "The XXVII Travesía a Nado El Río has once again shown that it is one of the most recognized and spectacular swimming crossings that take place in the Archipelago. And today, in addition, the weather and the state of the sea have fully accompanied us", concluded the councilor.
Sport, meeting and tourism
The Travesía a Nado El Río has once again had La Graciosa as the nerve center of an event that also serves to enhance the landscape and conservation value of the eighth island. Hundreds of participants -and their companions- have traveled there since Saturday to once again enjoy a sporting event that combines swimming and coexistence. And there was a desire after the break due to the pandemic.
The Caleta de Sebo pier, where the collective warm-up and access to the organization's boats took place to jointly transfer all the participating swimmers to the starting line, has once again become the epicenter of the hustle and bustle and conversations between athletes who came and went.
The Travesía a Nado El Río is, without a doubt, one of the most popular in the Canary Islands. It began to be held in 1993. At that time, about 50 swimmers starred in the first strokes of the swimming line between both islands.