Fernando Diaz adds a new step on the path of male artistic swimming. If on Friday he got the first medal, a silver, in the technical routine, he repeats the result in the free routine, with a very strong exercise and with the soundtrack of ‘The Werewolf’ by Danny Elfman.
Díaz, on the left, on the historic podium for the men’s artistic swimming
Díaz, 19, started at the La Palma club, but moved to Barcelona to train as a professional at the San Cugat High Performance Center, where the Federation, with Ana Montero at the helm, has developed a program to promote and develop artistic swimming among the boys, who, in the words of Díaz himself, “are put off by what they will say” when choosing this discipline.
A sport that combines strength, concentration, flexibility and dance. A set of skills in which Díaz is growing by brandishing everything: absolute category, continental championship and this solo routine in which he has already made history with his two silver medals. As in the technical test, the Italian Giorgio Minisini, much more experienced than the Spanish, prevailed unattainably (88.4667); but Díaz was able to defend his second position (83.3333) against Frenchman Quentin Rakotamalala (78.0000) and Serbian Ivan Martinovic (68.5333), the other two competitors.
“I am very happy with the score. The judges gave me a very good rating and I felt very comfortable swimming. I have tried to teach a lot of strength, a lot of energy and a different approach, let’s say more manly, when there is more of an artistic part in a solo. I’m going home with a very good taste in my mouth,” said the swimmer. «He has defended it very well from the beginning to the end. It was the goal: to go out without fear. We have improved the mark, it is his best grade of the season, so we are super happy », added his coach, Ana Vega.
