The 12-year-old from Torrejón, Samuel Fanegas, has been crowned champion of the Community of Madrid in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle and runner-up in the 50 metres butterfly and 200 metres freestyle. He also shone at the Spanish Championship in Cádiz.
The swimmer Samuel Fanegas, 12 years old and a resident of Torrejón de Ardoz, has become the great revelation of Madrid swimming by winning four medals at the Summer Madrid Championship in the alevín category. Two golds and two silvers that have also earned him a place in the Spanish Championship held in Cádiz on the weekend of July 11 and 12.
Two golds and two silvers at the regional championship
In the pool, Samuel showed no mercy. He took gold in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle, demonstrating a blistering speed. The silver came in the 50 metres butterfly and 200 metres freestyle, where he narrowly missed out on the title. A haul that few achieve in the same edition.
The Torrejón swimmer competes with the San Juan Bosco School Swimming Club, an entity that has only been in the grassroots federated competition for a few years and is already starting to bear fruit. In fact, the club sent another four swimmers to the regional championship, which speaks to the talent pool being developed in Torrejón.
Debut at the Spanish Championship with finals included
His performance at the regional championship earned him a ticket to the Spanish Championship in Cádiz, where he faced the best swimmers in the country in his category. There, he did not shy away: he qualified for the finals of the 50 and 100 metres freestyle and finished in a commendable sixth place in both events. A remarkable achievement for someone who started competing at the federated level just a year ago.
The Madrid Swimming Federation has already set its sights on him: Samuel is part of the Special Monitoring Group, where young talents from the region are brought together to monitor their development. A boost that few receive so early.
The mayor congratulates the young Torrejón talent
The mayor of Torrejón de Ardoz, Alejandro Navarro, did not want to miss the opportunity to congratulate the swimmer. In statements collected by the City Council, he highlighted:
“Congratulations on the four medals at the Madrid Championship and also for the experience of having competed in a Spanish Championship. I am sure that if you continue on the same path, we will celebrate more of your successes very soon.”
The City Council reminds us that grassroots sports are a priority and that successes like Samuel's put Torrejón on the map of Madrid swimming. For the locals, having such a young regional champion is a source of pride and, who knows, perhaps the seed of future joys in higher categories.
Samuel trains daily at the school facilities and balances his studies with laps in the pool. At twelve years old, he is already clear that he wants to continue swimming and, if all goes well, he will compete again in the Madrid Championship next year to defend his titles. For now, the medals are already shining in the Fanegas household.
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