European champion and world silver medallist Dennis Gonzalez Boneu was among the world’s top performers at a groundbreaking training camp for male artistic swimmers organized by the Spanish Aquatics Federation (RFEN).
The camp, held from December 13 to 15 at Sant Cugat, Barcelona, brought together 36 male athletes—16 international participants and 20 from Spain. Under the guidance of expert coaches, the event showcased the growing prominence of men’s artistic swimming.
Gonzalez Boneu, the reigning European solo technical champion and world free solo silver medallist, was joined by fellow Spaniards Jordi Cacares, Xandro De Manuel, and Eneko Sanchez.
Other notable attendees included:
- Kenneth Gaudet (USA): World silver medallist in free solo.
- Eduard Kim (Kazakhstan): 2023 world bronze medallist in technical solo.
- Diego Villalobos (Mexico): Fifth-place finisher in this year’s world solo technical final.
- Filippo Pelati (Italy): A 17-year-old standout who won double gold at the European Junior Championships and placed fourth in both solo events at the World Junior Championships.
- Nicolas Campos (Chile): A 17-year-old rising star representing South America.
- Ranjuo Tomblin (Great Britain): The 18-year-old who made history this year by claiming Britain’s first European gold in 39 years with his victory in the men’s solo free routine in Belgrade.
- David Martinez (Sweden): A top-10 finisher in the technical solo routine at this year’s Doha World Championships.
- Muye Guo (China): A dominant performer at the World Junior Championships, where he secured four gold medals.
The Spanish technical staff overseeing the training included RFEN Technical Director Ana Montero, Andrea Fuentes, and coaches Victor Cano, Anna Vega, Judit Requena, Gemma Mengual, and Cecilia Jiménez. The program featured a mix of pool training, gym work, and dance sessions designed to refine the athletes’ technique and artistry.
In her opening address to the participants, Montero emphasized the historic nature of the event:
“We are making history in this sport. Right now, there are more than 50,000 female athletes practising this sport. Imagine if in a few years we get 50,000 male athletes to also practise it.
“Imagine that at the next World Championships, in addition to 400 female athletes in the pool, there are also 400 male athletes. I would like you to be the family that fights together to make this possible from now on.”
Gonzalez Boneu shared his enthusiasm for the camp:
“I think without doubt this is a fantastic opportunity for all the men. We are a lot all over the world and I think this camp will help men’s artistic swimming for the future.”
Pelati added his thoughts:
“It is a very good emotion to be here at this camp with all the male artistic swimmers and the coaches at a high level that keep us pushing with new exercises and new techniques.
“It is very mind-opening for us, so athletes from all over the world have the chance to learn new things and improve their execution and push male artistic swimming to a new generation.”
The camp marked an important milestone in the advancement of men’s artistic swimming, bringing together a diverse group of athletes and coaches to drive the sport toward a brighter future.
Article Courtesy of European Aquatics