The open water swimming world circuit kicks off this year in Setúbal, with eight dozen swimmers embracing the aquatic challenge in Sado, on May 28 and 29, in men's and women's events and in the new mixed relay competition.

The inaugural stage of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series, organized by the International Swimming Federation, the Portuguese Swimming Federation and the Municipality of Setúbal, takes place from the Urban Park of Albarquel and offers two days of intense competition with the world's water swimming elite. open.

On Saturday, the 28th, starting at 15:30 pm, the ten kilometer aquatic marathon, carried out in five laps on a XNUMX meter circuit, is reserved for men's and women's individual competition, in which, among others, the Olympic champion in title Ana Marcela Cunha.

The competition on the River Sado, considered one of the most challenging on the international calendar of this sport, also has a Portuguese representation, such as the two Portuguese Olympic swimmers participating in the Tokyo Olympic Games Angélica André and Tiago Campos.

For Sunday, the 9th, the challenge in the waters of the Sado is embraced by swimmers in a new competition – a mixed-team relay – over a distance of six kilometers, also carried out on a water circuit in front of the Urban Park of Albarquel, with four laps of 1500 meters. .

The Setubalense stage, with excellent natural conditions that provide different experiences for swimmers, has been part of the open water swimming world circuit since 2006, in a total of 12 editions already held in the waters of the River Sado, with only one break in 2013.

The demands and challenges imposed on athletes, with different conditions from year to year, whether due to the temperature of the water or the strength of the current, are attractive to the world elite, and of the 22 medals in the swimming marathons held at the Olympic Games, 16 have already participated in this competition in the waters of the Sado.

The organizational capacity and quality already demonstrated by the Municipality of Setúbal and the internationally recognized Portuguese Swimming Federation, also motivated the holding of three qualifying events for the Olympic Games, such as London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Open water swimming is a sport that was integrated into the Olympic Games only in 2008, which means that, since then, of the four editions of the biggest world competition held with this swimming discipline, three of the qualifications have taken place in Setúbal.

The “Setúbal Bay”, as the FINA Marathon Swim World Series is locally known, had, until 2019, events open to popular participation, with the aim of publicizing the sport, however suspended due to the covid-19 pandemic and for demands international organizations.

After Setúbal, on the 28th and 29th of May, the biggest international competition in open water swimming travels to Paris, for the second stage of the test, to be held on the 9th and 10th of July, which serves as a preview for the Games. Olympic Games to be held in 2024 in the French capital.

From the European continent to the American continent, the FINA Marathon Swim World Series 2022 advances to two more stages, the third, from 26 to 28 August, goes to Lac Mégantic, in Canada, one of the emblematic places of the competition, followed by fourth stage in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

The open water swimming elite completes the world circuit in Asia, with the fifth and final stage of the ten-kilometer aquatic marathon that challenges both the physical and mental dexterity of swimmers to be held on November 11 and 12 in Eilat. , Israel.