Athlete Rafaela Louro, from APPACDM de Castelo Branco, will join the Special Olympics Portugal delegation at the Special Olympics European Swimming Open Malta 2026. The event takes place between September 10 and 14, 2026, at the National Swimming Pool Complex, in Tal-Qroqq, Malta, with the motto "Beyond The Wave." The Albi-Castrense swimmer will compete in two individual events, 50 meters freestyle and butterfly, and will also join the mixed relay of the Portuguese delegation.
The international event features 40 nations, including 36 European nations and 4 invited delegations from other continents. The official program begins on September 10 with the reception of delegations, team registration, and pool adaptation training.
On September 11, divisioning takes place, which allows swimmers to be grouped by gender and based on preliminary times, ensuring that each athlete competes for medals against opponents of similar functional level. On that same day, the Official Opening Ceremony also takes place. September 12 and 13 focus on heats and finals, medal ceremonies, and health screenings of the Healthy Athletes program.
The sports preparation of athlete Rafaela Louro has the support of the Municipal Swimming Pools of Castelo Branco/Alcains, through the provision of the facility for her training.
