From Galicia to Belgium, becoming runner-up at the 6th European seagull screeching competition

We already know that the Spanish are very good at beating others at many things.

To the long list of sports and other disciplines in which the Spanish nation is a world power, this Sunday bore witness to a new talent in the making: imitating the screeching of seagulls. Spain's representative was Olga Méndez, a comedian from Galicia who became the runner-up at this European tournament held last Sunday in De Panne, Belgium.

The competition is now in its sixth year and began with the aim of improving the relationship between humans and seagulls: "There is some friction," the organisation explains on its website. To develop this skill, it is necessary to have scientifically studied seagulls. Once done, the European seagull screeching championship is confident that, "if you take the time to observe them, you will begin to care for them".

Méndez shares this vision, as she has been an activist against 'seagull-phobia' for years. With humour, she pushes for more respect for this species and denounces acts of violence against these birds, such as the one that occurred in August 2022, when a man beat one to death on the Cíes Islands (an archipelago off Galicia).

The relationship between humans and animals in this part of Spain is complicated by the abundance of the latter. In response to this, Olga has been doing her bit by posting content on social media for years dressed up as a seagull and using humour to convey messages of protest.

A noble cause, but an unpleasant sound. Seagulls are not exactly great companions when having a nap on the beach, let's be honest. However, this initiative deserves recognition. It managed to bring more than 70 people from 16 different countries to Belgium to demonstrate their vocal range and acting skills to imitate these pesky birds.

The tournament has three categories: junior (6-16-year-olds), adult and groups (two to five people). The performances are judged by a jury, consisting of five experts who are "seagull lovers". They are in charge of judging the imitation of the screech based on sound (75 per cent of the score) and the performance (25 per cent).

The woman from Vigo waited her turn... and did not disappoint. With a score of 88 out of 100, she unleashed her powerful vocals and delivered a flawless imitation of that screech. It sounded like the bitter-sweet awakening from that nap on the beach. Olga nailed it.

"Vigo, Vigo!" Her entourage erupted in cheers and the jury praised her performance. She came second only to the Norwegian Carine Gronholz, who scored 90 out of 100 points. Champagne was uncorked in De Panne.

They celebrated by singing in the De Verloren Gernoare café in the Belgian city, with a cover of Queen's "We Are the Champions" and replacing 'champions' with 'seagulls'. A fitting end to a fantastic afternoon.

Olga Méndez decided to use her social media presence to advocate for more respect for a species commonly maligned by humans. Humour reaches everywhere and, for Olga, it took her all the way to Belgium, where she has met dozens of people who share the same respect for animals and the same lack of shame or embarrassment, as she herself points out in her thank-you message: "And me, for being shameless, because I absolutely deserve it all!"

"We should get an open-top, double-decker bus to tour Vigo celebrating the silver medal", "National pride!", "You have to turn on the Christmas lights next year, you've earned it!", are just a few of the messages Olga has received on the post published on her profile. Hundreds of comments and thousands of likes recognise her courage and the medal, because Spain now has the second-best seagull impersonator in Europe.