A total of 300 participants of all ages took part in the Playa de Papagayo Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada Crossing. During its celebration this past Sunday, two great swimmers stood out: Yaré Cocera and Kennedy Hope, who triumphed in the four-kilometer distance with times under one hour, 54:36 minutes and 57:57 minutes, respectively.
The event, which celebrated its third edition, was not only at the service of promoting sports and tourism, but also adds another great objective, which is to raise awareness among athletes and spectators about the conservation of the marine environment, a priority for the organization and for the Yaiza City Council, which carries out a variety of activities throughout the year with the help of volunteers and the involvement of various municipal areas.
Early in the morning, the Líneas Romero ferry departed from the port of Playa Blanca to transport the participants of the 4k distance to El Pozo beach. This transport facilitated not only a comfortable start, but also added a unique dimension to the experience of the participants who started the crossing from the sea.
The sea conditions improved as the athletes approached Playa Dorada and the more than one hundred swimmers of this distance reached the finish line to complete the Crossing without incident. This distance is valid for the Canary Islands Open Water Cup and is made up of two different classifications: with neoprene and without neoprene.
The men's podium with neoprene was formed, in order, by Álvaro Cabrera (57:50min), Raúl Fernández (58:04) and Gonzalo Ramírez (58:15); while among the women Kennedy Hope (57:57), Silvia Gopa (01:11:53) and Marianne Sommer (01:43:48) stood out.
In the 4k without neoprene category, the best were Yaré Cocera (54:36), Aldo Gutiérrez (01:01:26) and Sergio Curbelo (01:06:41). The top three of the women's classification in this same category were Elena Sarmiento (01:06:32), Natalia de Marco (01:08:55) and Marta Brito (01:12:06).
For Yaré Cocera “this event has been new for me, and I have been very happy with it, both for the impeccable organization and for the incredible atmosphere that was experienced. In the Crossing there has been a bit of everything, we started with some unfavorable weather situations for us, the swimmers, but with the passage of the test, these were much better”.
Kennedy Hope Denby also expressed her experience saying that “there was current, but the course was good and the organization was super good. It was a fun day”. The swimmer shared her next sporting challenges, mentioning that she still has the first phase of the Club Cup and the National Long Distance this year.
After the arrival of all the participants of the 4k distance, the following events were held, with Playa Dorada as the main stage for the different circuits that the organization had prepared. The distances of 800, 400 and 150/100 meters allowed the young promises of Lanzarote swimming to enjoy their sport and fulfill the objective of reaching the finish line.
Promoting sport and healthy living is one of the premises of this competition. In addition, the event included a test dedicated especially to people with functional diversity. This inclusive project, promoted by the La Caixa Foundation, highlighted the event's commitment to the participation of all, regardless of their abilities.
The swimmers of the Lanzarote Open Water Swimming Cup together with the popular swimmers completed the 1200 meter circuit. A very fast test in which you could see the good preparation that the swimmers of the Island have. The men's podium was made up of Gustavo Lourenço, Juan José de Armas and Andreu Jaén, while Naira Jaén, Natalia Sasu and Lucía Vázquez climbed to the women's podium.
In this edition there was also a relay race in which the teams composed of three swimmers (minimum one female) had to complete a 200 meter course and hand over the relay to their partner. A very fun modality that promotes team sports.
With the awards ceremony, held on the terraces of the Hotel Dreams Playa Dorada, the third edition of the Travesía Playas de Papagayo Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada was closed. This event is organized by B15 Active and sponsored by the Yaiza City Council, Turismo Lanzarote, Cabildo de Lanzarote, Government of the Canary Islands – Canary Islands, Hotel Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada, Tripasión Eventos, and the collaboration of the La Caixa Foundation through CaixaBank.
“We are very satisfied with the organization and with the degree of acceptance of the swimmers and their families who spent a spectacular day in Playa Blanca. Yaiza maintains its support for sports, sporting events such as the Crossing, and municipal schools”, notes the Councilor for Sports of Yaiza, Ángel Lago, who presided over the awards ceremony together with the non-elected Councilor for Sports of the Cabildo, Juan Monzón, the councilors of Yaiza Daniel Medina and Beatriz Vázquez and the representation of the host hotel.
