Looking back at 2025: Balearic canoeing confirms and sustains its high competitive level

In 2025, Balearic canoeing once again demonstrated its dominance on the water with authority, both in national competitions and on the main international stages. From the demanding Szeged World Cup to the highly competitive European Championships in Račice, paddlers from the islands delivered a succession of top-level performances, reaffirming the strength and consistency of their preparation.

The results achieved throughout the season not only highlight outstanding individual and collective performances, but also consolidate the Balearic Islands as one of the leading benchmarks in canoeing, a region capable of developing talent that excels decisively at the most demanding events on the calendar.

The first major international Olympic Sprint event after the Paris Games, held in May in the waters of Szeged, produced two highly valuable medals for Balearic paddlers.

On one hand, Joan Antoni Moreno, from Reial Club Nàutic Port de Pollença, was crowned World Cup champion in the C2 500 alongside his teammate Diego Domínguez. The Spanish duo reaffirmed their status as a global reference by winning a thrilling final by just 0.11 seconds. Moreno, an Olympic bronze medalist last summer, once again proved that he remains at the very top of the discipline.

The other major Balearic achievement came in the K1 500, where Alex Graneri, from Real Club Náutico de Palma, claimed an impressive silver medal. The Mallorcan paddler, who entered the race without high expectations, finished just 0.27 seconds behind Hungary’s Adam Varga after delivering his best race of the season.

If Szeged confirmed the Balearic level on the world stage, the European Championships held in Račice (Czech Republic) raised the bar even higher thanks to the outstanding performance of Maria dels Àngels Moreno, from Reial Club Nàutic del Port de Pollença.

The young paddler completed a historic championship, returning to the islands with three gold medals in the C2 200 m (with a European record), C2 500 m, and mixed C4 500 m. With this achievement, Moreno became the first Spanish athlete to win three gold medals at a single European Championship, cementing her status as one of the leading figures in both Balearic and Spanish canoeing.

Her next major challenge came at the World Championships in Milan, held in August, where she once again reached the podium by winning bronze in the C2 500 alongside Viktoria Yarchvska. Spain also concluded the championship in sixth place in the overall medal table.

With a world title in C2, an international silver medal in K1, and three European titles, Balearic canoeing heads into the 2026 season with extraordinary momentum. Clubs across the islands continue to supply talent to the national team, and the Balearic Islands consolidate their position as a key territory in the development of Spanish canoeing.