Marta Cabanas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Water polo referee |
Marta Cabanas (born 1994) is a Spanish water polo referee. She became the first Spanish and Catalan female referee to officiate at major international competitions under FINA/World Aquatics, including the European Championships, World Championships, and the Olympic Games. [1] [2]
Born into a prominent water polo family—her parents were both international players and her brothers, Sergi and Víctor, also play at high levels—Cabanas began as a swimmer at C.E. Mediterrani before moving to water polo around age 15 with CN Sabadell and later CN Terrassa [3] . At around 17 she took a refereeing course with the Catalan Swimming Federation, transitioning from player to official as she started physiotherapy studies [4] .
She progressed quickly in the national ranks—advancing from category C to A in three years—and by early 2021 joined the LEN international list, then was admitted to the FINA/World Aquatics panel in early 2022, earning her distinction as the first female FINA referee from both Catalonia and Spain [5] [6] . She gained her first major appointments at the 2022 European Championships in Split and the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka [7] [8] . She has also refereed high‑level club matches in Europe, including men’s LEN Champions League and women’s Euro League contests, gaining a reputation “as a reference in Europe” for her performance in Hungary and beyond [9] . In October 2024 she is recorded officiating in Champions League Women qualification matches [10] .
In March 2024, the World Water Polo Referee Association selected Cabanas as one of 24 officials for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games—making her the first female Spanish water polo referee at the Olympics—alongside her compatriot David Gómez [11] [12] [13] . At Paris she officiated five women’s tournament matches—including the bronze‑medal game between the United States and the Netherlands [14] [15] [16] . Cabanas later described refereeing the 3rd/4th place match as “like receiving a bronze medal” herself [17] .
Cabanas maintains strict pre‑match routines—walking to venues and listening to a specific playlist—as mental preparation [18] . She has spoken openly about facing discrimination and insults as a female referee, including sexist remarks from spectators, and has emphasized her desire to break barriers and inspire other women to pursue officiating [19] [20] .
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