The athlete from Tomares, Juan Jesús Ortega Fernández, has been crowned world champion in under 19 rowing in Plovdiv (Bulgaria), a historic milestone for Tomares and Spanish rowing.
The rower from Tomares, Juan Jesús Ortega Fernández, has taken the name of Tomares to the highest level of international competition. This past Saturday, August 8, he was declared world champion in under 19 rowing in Plovdiv (Bulgaria), a historic milestone for the municipality and for Spanish rowing.
The Spanish boat of four without a coxswain, made up of Ortega, Borja Núñez, Robert Privistirescu, and Manuel Cruz, won decisively in the final with a time of 6:00.97, almost two seconds less than the British boat (6:02.22), which came second, while France completed the podium with 6:03.18.
The mayor of Tomares, José María Soriano, celebrated the victory:
“What a pride for all of Tomares! We have received extraordinary news from Bulgaria: our neighbour Juanje Ortega has been crowned under 19 world champion in rowing in the four without a coxswain event. Together with his teammates, he has achieved a historic final to hang the gold medal. Congratulations to Juanje and his entire team for this milestone that fills our town with pride. The future of national sport is in good hands!”
Ortega, who trains at the Club Náutico de Sevilla, has been selected among the best in Spain by the Spanish National Team. His 2026 achievements include the double title of Spanish Champion in Rowing Ergometer and by Clubs in the four without a coxswain, the national bronze by clubs in the eight with a coxswain, and a fourth place in the Final B of the Brandenburg European Championship (Germany) in the four without a coxswain.
With this gold, the athlete from Tomares confirms his projection as one of the great promises of national rowing. The team's next event will be the absolute European Championship, where Ortega is expected to repeat his presence in the Spanish boat.
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