Protaras ready for European Aquatics Open Water Swimming Cup 2026 curtain-raiser
The opening leg of the European Aquatics Open Water Swimming Cup 2026 gets underway in Protaras on 18 April, opening a new season that is expected to be defined by rising stars and huge moments, with this being no exception.
The Cypriot town will play host to the first of four show-stopping events throughout the year, with the series subsequently stopping at Tenero (Switzerland), Razanac (Croatia) and Barcelona (Spain).
With 11 women and 12 men set to take to the 10km course to see who can take an early lead in the standings, the standout name on the start list has to be Poland’s Klaudia Tarasiewicz, who took a total of three victories in the 2025 series, including the leg in Protaras last May. The 22-year-old will be back this year in the hunt for another taste of success in a field that spans a wide range of ages and nationalities.
The Polish swimmer arrives as the most established athlete on the start list and realistically one of the favourites. Her experience over the 10km event gives her a significant advantage in a field otherwise dominated by developing swimmers.
In a race that may lack early cohesion, Tarasiewicz’s capacity to control the speed of the field could prove decisive, particularly if conditions or tactics cause the pack to fragment over the six-lap course.
Beyond Tarasiewicz, the women’s entry list reflects a broader trend of a growing pipeline of younger athletes beginning to emerge onto the senior stage.
A large proportion of the field is made up of swimmers born after 2005, including several still in their mid-to-late teenage years. That introduces a degree of unpredictability as they make the move from pool swimming to the open water.
As a result, while the battle for victory appears relatively clear on paper, the fight for the remaining podium places is wide open.
The men’s event mirrors a pattern seen across the 2025 season, which is strong depth, but no single dominant figure. With a relatively fresh field set to compete in the 10km event the race in Protaras is likely to be decided by execution rather than reputation.
The two figures that are likely to jump out to the fans at first glance are Poland’s Piotr Wozniak and Bartosz Kapala. The compatriots are both European Junior champions from 2023, and will be continuing their emergence onto the senior stage at the event. Kapala also famously took the win at the most recent leg of the competition last September in Razanac, so will be looking to continue that form this time around.
All-in-all, the men’s race provides a much more wide-open race which could see surges from any of the athletes throughout the event.
As the first leg of the 2026 Cup series, Protaras serves as an early benchmark. It offers valuable points as part of the race to become overall series champion, but also an indication of which athletes have adapted quickest from winter preparation to race conditions.
Also featuring throughout the weekend at the venue are the Special Olympics and Masters competitions.
The Special Olympics 800m race will consist of one lap of a bespoke course, with six men and two women from Cyprus, Germany and Lithuania taking part. The event forms part of an ongoing partnership between European Aquatics and Special Olympics, with this being the latest in a series of opportunities for those athletes to gain experience in the same venues as the elite competitors.
The Masters competition takes place the following day, on 19 April. 77 men and 38 women will take to the 3km, three-lap circuit, with age groups from 20-24 right the way through to 85-89 being seeing athletes competing.
Click here to access the start lists and results for the elite competition.
Click here to access the start lists and results for the Special Olympics competition.
Click here to access the start lists and results for the Masters competition.
Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
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