The young athlete from Orihuela, Juanmi López Cartagena, has just added to his extensive list of sporting feats as he swam across the Strait of Gibraltar, a distance of sixteen and a half kilometres, which he completed in four hours and fifty-five minutes.
This open water event is considered one of the most emblematic in the world for elite swimmers and, in this case, it takes on greater relevance as Juanmi López Cartagena is the first Orihuela native, the only representative of the Valencian Community and the only Spaniard in the small group of elite swimmers.
The team that achieved the feat was made up of the Lithuanian Justas Narkevicius, the Ukrainian Sergil Matus, the Russian Maxim Pichugin and our Orihuela native Juanmi López.
During the crossing they encountered strong Atlantic currents and waves due to the convergence of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, also coming across dolphins, manta rays, and a sunfish.
As for the aquatic conditions of the crossing they had a slight swell, a westerly wind, a tidal coefficient of 89, whirlpools and no current in their favour, with the handicap that some transatlantic ships passed almost 200 metres from them, something particularly dangerous for the swimmers. In the end, they all achieved their objective, returning to land with the mission accomplished.
In addition to this feat, our man from Orihuela should also be commended for his participation in the dangerous Marathon des Sables in Morocco, in the Spanish Open Water Swimming Cup, in the Ironman Test in Lanzarote, the Spanish Ultraman Championship and the Ultra-Trails of more than 100 km, recently receiving the Fortius Award for the most outstanding athlete of the year, by the Orihuela Council.
Juanmi is known for his endurance and determination, and has become a respected figure in the world of long-distance swimming.
