Andy Manuel Ávila will make his debut in artistic swimming solo

July 15, 2023

Andy Manuel Ávila will make his debut in the solo event of artistic swimming at the 2023 Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships, with competitions starting this Friday.

It will be the first time a man from the Island competes in this event, as Andy's previous performances had been in mixed duet, accompanied by Soila Carelys Valdés.

That couple, finalists in the 2022 Budapest edition, will seek to repeat their performance, although it will be Andy who takes on the task of "breaking the ice" with his solo presentation, mounted as part of preparation for the recently concluded XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023.

"We already had our first training session here and now it's just a matter of competing," said Viviam Segura, the national commissioner of artistic swimming, to JIT from the Japanese city.

The Cuban delegation is completed by Gabriela Alpajón, competitor in the women's solo and duet, as the partner of Dayaris Varona.

All the technical and free routines that the Cubans will present in the Japanese city are identical to those performed in San Salvador 2023, and respond to the requirements of a scoring code that changed after the aforementioned Budapest world championship.

The world championship also hosts diving, swimming, water polo, and open water competitions.

In diving, the Cuban team will be led by the multi-medalist from San Salvador 2023, Anisley García, whose main objective is to secure her qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The goal is high, as only spots will be distributed to the 12 finalists in each individual event.