European open water swimming competitions held in Protaras

The European Aquatics Open Water Swimming Cup 2026 took place on April 18–19 at Fig Tree Bay in Protaras, Cyprus. The scheduled 10-kilometer race on Saturday was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions and heavy sea swells, despite two attempts to delay the start. As an alternative, the 800-meter Special Olympics event was relocated to the Paralimni Municipal Swimming Pool, where Cypriot athletes Dimitris Giannis and Ioanna Pafiti won silver medals, and Giorgos Christodoulou won bronze. On Sunday, weather conditions improved, allowing the 3-kilometer veterans' swimming race to proceed as planned. A total of 115 to 150 athletes from 32 countries participated in the weekend's events, including British open water swimmer Michael Reed. Several Cypriot veterans achieved podium finishes, including Orfeas Vasiloudis Pagiatas who won gold in the 20–24 age category, alongside silver medalists Konstantinos Floridis and Kostas Chaili. The event organizers emphasized that the cancellation of the 10km race was a safety-driven decision following consultation with team representatives.