Andorran Swimming Federation Prioritises World Aquatics A Standards for 2028 Olympics

The Andorran Swimming Federation (FAN) has prioritised World Aquatics' A qualifying standards for Olympic selection ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games, with any alternative routes left to the Andorran Olympic Committee (COA).

FAN president Joan Clotet outlined this focus on Monday during the launch of a three-year biomechanics training project designed to provide top-tier resources for the country's most promising swimmers. "The aim right now is to hit those World Aquatics standards. That's the clear message to our swimmers," Clotet said. He added that discussions with the COA on other options would come later if needed, noting past tensions over universality places that led to Andorra missing the last two Olympics. Pressed on whether a B standard might suffice, Clotet emphasised that A marks represent the primary qualification threshold the federation is targeting.

The program centres on sessions at the University of Granada's Aquatics Lab, a specialist centre for swimming biomechanics. It coordinates with renowned coach Fred Vergnoux, head of World Aquatics' Antibes group and current trainer of Andorran swimmer Kevin Teixeira, who previously guided Spain's Mireia Belmonte. The work will assess stroke rates, velocities, starts, turns, underwater phases, and individual strengths and weaknesses to optimise competitive technique.

Technical director Alfonso Maltrana called it a significant advancement, placing Andorra on equal footing with other nations. He acknowledged the difficulty of reshaping automated habits in top swimmers but highlighted the value of incremental progress. "A 1% time improvement counts as real success. Often, ingrained actions must be reset and relearned, which demands time," Maltrana explained.

The initial phase starts this week, featuring Kevin Teixeira, Biel Cuen, and Patrick Pelegrina. Further visits are planned for January 2027 and from September 2027 to January 2028, with intentions to expand participation.

Backed by Andbank, whose country banking director Maria Suárez said: "We're providing the optimal setup for them to represent Andorra," the initiative delivers technical capabilities previously lacking for the nation's swimmers.