Gran Retto Varadero Open Water competitions begin.

The second edition of the Gran Retto Varadero Open Water Crossing will have its first day of competitions this Saturday, September 16th, after the inauguration the day before of the event that gathers athletes and amateurs from several nations.

In the waters of the Los Delfines Hotel, the under 12-year-olds will compete in the 750-meter distance and the same stretch of sea will be used by those registered in 1,500 and 3,000 meters for the masters, who enjoy this event in a more recreational way, announced Nelson García Fernández, national swimming commissioner.

The director of sports programming of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation, Eduardo Bertot, thanked the athletes, their families and support personnel for their presence in the competition and assured that it was a healthy open water event in Cuba, Prensa Latina reported.

The director of the Mexican brand Gran Retto, Luis Mario Villarreal, said that this second edition has a huge acceptance, especially with the representatives from Mexico who account for almost 60 percent of the total number of athletes, which exceeds 400.

Villarreal emphasized that strengthening alliances with Sociedad Mercantil Cubadeportes S.A. in order to grow beyond open water competitions and link other sports modalities on the island under the support of Gran Retto is a common interest that is being worked on.

With representatives from nations such as Spain, Peru, Mexico, the United States and Cuba, Varadero will host the second edition of the Gran Retto Open Water Crossing on Saturday and Sunday, an event that seeks to position Cuba as a venue for sports events in the Pan-American area and at the same time highlight the benefits of the main sun and beach tourist destination.

Gran Retto, the Ministry of Tourism and Cubadeportes S.A. are part of the Organizing Committee of a competition that was officially inaugurated yesterday Friday at 6:00 p.m. on Varadero’s boulevard and will include a parade in electric cars along the main streets of the resort.

Swimmers from the national team, triathletes, clubs and representatives of local and foreign swimming schools will compete for the first three places in these days of competition, which will be full of recreational activities, domino festivals and the expected beer mile.