That the white swimmer of the CN Mataró Guillem Pujol guanyi la Nadal Cupat the port of Barcelona, every December 25, has become another holiday tradition. With the one he signed up for last Sunday, he has already accumulated nine in a row, and now the challenge he faces is to match, in the next edition, the record of ten he has Daniel Serra. Pujol, an open water specialist, covered the 200 meters of the race with start and finish at Pau portal in a time of one minute and 53 seconds, very close to the test record he holds Carlos Ventosa since 1994 with a mark of 1:51.05. The Girona native is the fourth swimmer to drop under two minutes in the 113-year history of the event after Carles Ventosa, David Royo (1:51.07 in 1992 and 1:53.55 in 1995) and Daniel Serra (1:58.90 in 1989).
“I’ve always liked the water”, explains Guillem Pujol, who won the Nadal Cup for minors in 2012, made his debut in the senior competition a year later, and since 2014 has only chained that triumph. “For me it’s already a tradition, it’s a very fun test and I like going there to compete, and now, in addition, I have the challenge of equaling Dani Serra’s record of ten victories.” “It’s the Catalan swimming festival, and what’s more, every year it’s less cold, and it has a very cool atmosphere. On Sunday the water was at 16 degrees, they told us, and before that it had reached 12». Since he won for the fourth time in 2017, “I thought it was possible to at least equal Serra’s record”, and now that he has won nine, he assures that “I can’t fail. At least I have to match it and then we’ll see if I can overcome it».
Pujol, de 25 anys, és professional de la natació: «em dona per viure, o potser hauria de dir per sobreviure, perquè en l’àmbit català i espanyol és un esport poc valorat i resulta difícil practicar-lo». He likes water, but especially the sea. “I started swimming in Blanes, in front of my house, when I was very young and my parents would take me to the beach, and at the age of 8 I was already federated, in Lloretand made crossings, a Toss, Sant Feliu, Blanes… over there close to home. Because it was what I liked, that’s why I specialized in open water, and now the goal is to be able to be in the Paris Games in 2024″. To achieve this he will have to win the ticket to the pre-Olympic de Doha, in February 2024, remaining in the top 16. In the 2021 edition, he was very close to qualifying, and now he wants to achieve it. He also swims in the pool, and was recently champion ofSpain in 1,500. Before, this summer, he will face the Japan World Cup. He will be there if he is the first Spaniard in the Sardinia World Cup in may The white swimmer usually trains in the pool, although in the summer he can spend two days preparing at sea. In winter it is more from time to time, and protected with neoprene from the cold.
