A spectacular day of racing at Parc de la Mar’s lake with 32 paddlers boasting 30 Olympic medals and 380 international podiums. Mallorca’s Álex Graneri claims overall silver in the men’s category.
Spain’s Carlos Arévalo and Portugal’s Teresa Portela claimed victory today in the inaugural Ciutat de Palma Canoeing Trophy, after an exciting day of competition at Parc de la Mar, at the foot of Mallorca’s Cathedral. The event, showcasing an impressive display of technique and speed, marks a turning point in the conception of this sport thanks to an innovative 300-meter race format. With both the start and finish at the same point, and a compulsory turnaround maneuver halfway through, the new setup delivered a unique spectacle.
The Ciutat de Palma Canoeing Trophy, organized by the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP), made a resounding debut, drawing thousands of locals who gathered at Parc de la Mar on the public holiday. The inaugural edition brought together the world elite, boasting a record of 30 Olympic medals and more than 380 international podium finishes. The event also coincided with the 40th anniversary of Parc de la Mar’s inauguration, with its artificial lake proving to be the perfect setting for a historic day, recalling October 12, 1984, when this iconic landmark of the Balearic capital first opened to the public.
The qualifying heats, held between 9:00 and 11:40 a.m., delivered unexpected surprises with the early elimination of two top favorites in the men’s category: Spain’s Saúl Craviotto, an undisputed figure in world canoeing with six Olympic medals, and Rodrigo Germade, a double Olympic medalist.
The Elite preliminaries were followed by the youth regattas, featuring up-and-coming paddlers from leading Balearic nautical clubs. These competitions ran until 3:30 p.m. The winners received their trophies from some of their idols, who then prepared for the Elite semifinals and the grand final, held between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
The weather conditions favored the organizers. Skies remained clear throughout the day, and only early in the morning did the wind stir up some waves. In the afternoon, once the semifinalists had been decided, the water conditions resembled those of a traditional flatwater course. The decisive races featured three paddlers at a time, with only the third-place finisher eliminated. Triple Olympic medalist Marcus Cooper was one of them, forced to settle for a spot in the consolation “Final B.”
Eight athletes qualified for each final (men’s and women’s). Both categories offered absolute excitement. The turnaround maneuver led to some collisions and proved decisive for the sprinters. Teresa Portela, who shared the podium with Germany’s Jule Hake and Denmark’s Frederikke Mathiesen, was delighted with her performance and the relative ease of her win: “It was fun, because we weren’t sure how to approach the tactics. I had no issues with the turnaround and I can’t complain. I didn’t expect to win, but in the end it came naturally.”
Uncertainty defined the men’s final, decided by the slimmest margin. Spain’s Enrique Adán, who had crossed the finish line first, was penalized for a false start, handing victory to Carlos Arévalo, with Mallorca’s Álex Graneri in second place and Germany’s Jacob Schopf in third. Arévalo explained that the race was “very tough and tightly contested,” and that he benefited from a collision at the turnaround: “Then I saw I was lined up straight toward the finish line, I thought the final sprint was my moment and I went for it.”
Manuel Fraga, director of the RCNP, was thrilled with the reception, both in terms of sport and audience, and expressed his hope that the Ciutat de Palma will become a reference point on the international circuit. “We set the bar very high, but that inspires and motivates us. Parc de la Mar has shown today that it is a magnificent lake for canoeing. It took courage and imagination to adapt the competition format to the characteristics of the venue, but it’s clear we made the right choice,” said Fraga, who also emphasized the RCNP’s commitment to grassroots and elite sport, as well as to the city itself: “By the end of this year, we will have hosted two world championships and one European championship in sailing, in addition to our major annual events and now this Ciutat de Palma. The work of our club is truly unmatched and irreplaceable.”
