Garcia reflects on “really important” new athlete representative role at EA Championships

This year was the first in which European Aquatics Championship events have had selected members of the EA Athletes Committee present to liaise with competitors in order to troubleshoot any problems and provide instant feedback to organisers.

For Spain’s Emma Garcia, the 26-year-old former artistic swimmer who became vice chair of the Athletes Committee in September, the new arrangement fitted in ideally with her decision to call time on a career that had seen her win world and European medals, including gold in the mixed free routine at the 2024 EA Championships.

“For me, from 2022 to 2024, I was also a swimmer at some meetings, so I could not have fulfilled a role as an athlete representative because I was competing myself,” she told European Aquatics.

In her new capacity as a retired athlete Garcia attended the EA Artistic Swimming Championships in Funchal, Madeira from June 2 to 5, and the EA Junior Artistic Swimming Championships in Athens from June 25 to 29.

“It felt like a really important thing to be there as a role model for all the athletes and for them to be able to have this person on site that they could come to and speak about what they were feeling or needed.

“For them it’s more easy if this person is or has been an athlete. I was able to speak to them, so they could tell me everything that I could report as feedback.

“Because they know me well I was able to speak to the coaches and the athletes and it was so much easier to give this feedback and real athletes views on each competition by being there.

“It was helpful not only for the athletes but also the technical committee. Each day I was able to improve a little bit some things that the athletes were telling me or that I was able to see in the swimming pool.

“For instance in Athens, in the final call room, they didn’t have any cold water.

“I saw that and told the organisers that they have to put some water out for the athletes because they are about to compete and they cannot go to the other side of the pool to have some water two minutes before they are starting.

“I was also able to get this area properly equipped and making it closer to the swimming pool.

“In Funchal the final call room wasn’t even a room, it was like a square in the swimming pool, and it was like ‘OK, this is not a final call room’.

“Because the athletes could not really concentrate ahead of competition – everyone was moving around them, there was noise, it was chaotic. By being there I was able to observe this and to tell the organisers to change the set-up.”

In conclusion, Garcia added: “I think that our role in the European Aquatics Championships this summer – being able to go there and be involved and give feedback during and after competition – was really great. And I think it was really good for our sport.”

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics

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