Valeria Brigneti Becomes First Peruvian Woman to Swim Strait of Gibraltar Without Wetsuit

Peruvian open‑water swimmer Valeria Silvana Brigneti Goytizolo completed a 16.5‑kilometre crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar in 4 hours 59 minutes, doing so without a neoprene wetsuit. The swim linked Tarifa in Spain with Dalia beach in Morocco and was undertaken with an international team that included fellow Peruvian Rubén Vereau Miranda, Argentine Marina Díaz, Mexican Sebastián Hermosillo and was guided by Mexican coach Nora Toledano.

The athletes faced strong currents and a water‑temperature shift from about 17 °C near Europe to roughly 22 °C near Africa. Brigneti’s achievement marks the first time a Peruvian woman has completed the traditional (non‑wetsuit) crossing and serves as a stepping stone toward the “Ocean’s Seven” series of the world’s toughest open‑water swims. Both Brigneti and Vereau previously won the Vuelta a Manhattan in New York, part of the Triple Crown of open‑water swimming.