There was a shared victory in the 23rd edition of the event between four young swimmers from Lanzarote; Kennedy Hope Denby, Andreu Jaén, Juan José Armas and Gustavo Lorenço
The twenty-third edition of the Travesía Internacional La Bocaina served to demonstrate, once again, the privileged Canarian weather conditions, on a day in which foreign and local swimmers shared strokes with the sole objective of uniting Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The test goes beyond pure competition, for many of the participants it is a personal challenge with the goal of reaching the Port of Corralejo.
The test started at 07:45 a.m. where the emblematic Playa Dorada in the municipality of Yaiza served as a starting point, giving free rein to all those emotions that were present long before the starting gun was heard, with the presence of family, friends and other companions of the more than 80 people who were competing.
The tension and concentration of the participants were interspersed with that special atmosphere that has led this test to being held for over two decades and reflected the first smiles that would be kept until arriving in Fuerteventura.
Thanks to this great atmosphere, combined with the excellent weather, the swimmers were able to give their all in the water until they reached the neighbouring island. During the refreshment stops, the participants expressed their positive feelings and how quickly the day was passing, a sign that they were enjoying the event in every way.
The prevailing sun, together with a gentle wind and a water temperature of around 21ºC, provided the ideal setting for this natural panorama shared by Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, resulting in images to remember.
This year, the entrance to the finish line was special with the arrival of four swimmers together at the port of Corralejo, sharing the final triumph. This is how Kennedy Hope Denby, Andreu Jaén, Juan José Armas and Gustavo Lorenço, they entered the history of this race as winners of its 23rd edition, finishing the race with a time of 4:22:56 hrs.
Óliver Acuña, technical director of the event, commented that “the arrival of the four swimmers together in this edition reflects the essence of this event, which has never been the competition but the experience of swimmers from all over the world coming to swim together in a real open water paradise”.
He also highlighted the particularity of the victory of the four swimmers from a Lanzarote club, “the event began 23 years ago to pursue the construction of public pools in which to train good swimmers on the island and several decades later we see that there are young swimmers at a very high level. So I feel very proud to be the promoter of this event and see that it has been worth it.”
The crowd was also waiting in Fuerteventura to be able to witness the joviality among the same competitors who arrived with satisfaction at the Majorera finish line. These swimmers were welcomed with open arms, among whom were representatives from countries such as Germany, England, France, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Ireland and Australia, who found in this international crossing one of the great open water tests of the sports calendar.
The event featured outstanding swimmers such as Zoe Kalenka, a promising member of the German swimming team who already has an extensive track record in open water and who also celebrated her 15th birthday on the same day of the competition, thus becoming the youngest swimmer to participate in this La Bocaina International Crossing. Also notable was the presence of the German Cathleen Rund who, although retired, remains active in this discipline, having won Olympic bronze in 1996.
The presentation of trophies was the finishing touch to the XXIII Travesía Internacional La Bocaina Lanzarote-Fuerteventura, which has met all expectations and continues to gain more and more followers every year.
