Eduardo Blasco de Imaz

Eduardo Blasco de Imaz
Eduardo Blasco de Imaz in 2024
Personal information
Full nameEduardo Blasco de Imaz Álvarez
NicknameEdu Blasco
Born (1994-08-12) August 12, 1994
San Sebastián, Spain
Occupations
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight231 lb (105 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming

Eduardo Blasco de Imaz Álvarez (12 August 1994),[1] better known as Edu Blasco, is a Spanish swimmer specializing in lifesaving. He is known for his achievements in sports competitions and his commitment to humanitarian causes.[2] As of 2024, he has performed over a thousand rescues.[3]

Biography

Blasco was born in the Basque Country and raised in the Canary Islands, where he began swimming at a young age.[4] He resides in Fuerteventura.[3]

He competed internationally, becoming a multiple-time world champion in lifesaving—specifically in the 50-meter rescue medley event.[3] He also represented Spain in six world championships and four European championships, amassing a total of 46 senior Spanish national titles and eight medals with the national team.[5] Furthermore, he holds 66 senior national medals and has medaled at the European championships in Wales (2015), Belgium (2017), and Italy (2019), as well as at the World Championships in Greece (2016).[6] In 2017, Blasco was part of the team that competed in the World Games.[3] In 2018, during the World Championships in Belgrade, he broke the Spanish record in the final.[7]

In 2022, after winning the world lifesaving championship, Blasco decided to join a migrant rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea, becoming the first professional swimmer to participate in such operations.[4] Since then, he has regularly taken part in rescue operations, saving over a thousand people in two years.[5][6] He also collaborates with rescue organizations such as Aita Mari and Open Arms.[8][9] Additionally, he has voiced concern regarding the migration crisis in the Canary Islands and addressed issues related to human trafficking.[5]

Blasco holds a law degree with a specialization in human rights.[10] As of 2024, he was balancing his athletic career with doctoral studies focused on human rights at Europe's southern border.[5] Throughout his career, he has participated in humanitarian missions in countries such as Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and the Sahara.[2]

In 2024, he took part in search and rescue efforts following the floods in Valencia caused by the Cold drop weather phenomenon.[11][12]

The following year, in 2025, Blasco won the Spanish absolute Lifesaving and Lifeguarding Championship for the tenth consecutive year.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Vega, Ana (2022-01-31). "Eduardo Blasco, de medallista a socorrista". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  2. 1 2 Fontecha, Kevin (2024-09-06). "Edu Blasco, el campeón del mundo que quiere que le «recuerden por ayudar a los demás»". Canarias7 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Los 761 rescates (250 a brazada limpia) del titán vasco del salvamento: "Jamás quiero sentir soltar a alguien en el agua y que se hunda... Ninguna medalla te hace olvidar eso"". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  4. 1 2 "De nadador profesional y campeón mundial a querer salvar vidas en el Mediterráneo". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Eduardo Blasco, el campeón del mundo español que ha salvado a 756 migrantes en el mar: 'Esto es lo mejor que he hecho'". ElHuffPost (in Spanish). 2023-12-17. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  6. 1 2 Renedo, Íñigo. "De campeón del mundo en natación a salvar miles de vidas en el mar, así es la historia de Eduardo Blasco: "Llevar un chaleco identificándote es más una diana que un salvoconducto"". Cadena SER (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  7. ↑ Semana, Redacción Fin de (2025-04-20). "El niño que veía llegar cayucos a las costas de Fuerteventura y que hoy, con 30 años, es un titán del salvamento marítimo". COPE (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  8. ↑ "Un campeón del mundo en la misión de Open Arms secuestrada por Italia: «Si viéramos el Mediterráneo por debajo... un cementerio»". Relevo (in Spanish). 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  9. ↑ López, Adriana (2023-06-24). "Eduardo Blasco, de campeón del mundo a salvar inmigrantes: "Sus vidas tendrían que estar por encima de cualquier otro interés"". elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  10. ↑ "Señalización, campañas de prevención y multas en la playa: la receta de Eduardo Blasco para evitar la mitad de los ahogamientos en España". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2025-07-02. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  11. ↑ "La frustración del nadador Eduardo Blasco en Valencia: "Nadie llegó tiempo, en esta ocasión no se ha podido rescatar a nadie"". www.antena3.com (in Spanish). 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  12. 1 2 "Club de Natación Aldaia, el triunfo de la mentalidad: 41 días en el barro de la dana, dos meses sin entrenar y seis medallas y varios récords de España en Salvamento". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2026-06-28.

Content in this edit is translated from the existing Spanish Wikipedia article at es:Eduardo Blasco de Imaz; see its history for attribution.

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