Spanish junior swimmer Maria Daza made a splash at the 2025 Spanish Short Course Nationals, showcasing her talent with a personal best time of 1:54.45 in the 200-meter freestyle. This achievement marks a significant improvement from her previous best of 1:57.19, which earned her 19th place at the Short Course World Championships last year. Daza's performance has propelled her to the 9th spot in the world rankings for the 2025-2026 season.
The 18-year-old Real Canoe athlete, who already claimed the 50-meter freestyle national title the day before, is set to be a key player in Spain's relay team at the 2025 Short Course European Championships in Lublin. Her impressive track record includes two gold and two silver medals from the Euro Juniors this summer, solidifying her status as a rising star in the sport.
The Barcelona pool witnessed another standout performance in the men's 200-meter backstroke, where Hugo Gonzalez, Diego Mira, and Ivan Martinez formed a formidable trio. They collectively qualified for Lublin with times in the 1:51 range, with Gonzalez narrowly edging out Mira in the final stretch to claim the 200-meter breaststroke/200-meter backstroke national title, finishing in 1:51.27. Mira secured another event for Lublin with a time of 1:51.57, adding to his previous 400-meter IM qualification.
In the women's 200-meter backstroke, Carmen Weiler dominated the race with a time of 2:05.22, though it fell short of her 2024 World Championship record of 2:02.16. Nonetheless, it was enough to secure her a spot on the Euros roster.
The men's mile race was a thrilling contest between Cristobal Vargas and Mario Mendez, who traded leads throughout, never more than 0.75 seconds apart. Vargas ultimately prevailed, crossing the finish line in 14:46.15, while Mendez finished just 0.11 seconds behind in 14:46.26. Both swimmers had already qualified for Lublin, where they will compete against Europe's best.
Two more swimmers qualified for Lublin on Day 3: Miguel Perez-Godoy and Cesar Castro, both in the 200-meter freestyle. They shattered Perez-Godoy's previous championship record of 1:43.63, with Perez-Godoy clocking a new personal best of 1:43.24 and Castro finishing in 1:43.52. Other notable winners on Day 3 included Naiara Sobreviela in the women's 50-meter backstroke, Alejandro Villarejo in the men's 100-meter backstroke, and Emma Carrasco in the women's 100-meter individual medley.
This article highlights the standout performances and qualifications from Day 3 of the 2025 Spanish Short Course Nationals, with a focus on the impressive achievements of Maria Daza and her fellow swimmers.
