Brazilian's Poliana Okimoto Cintra and Ana Marcela Cunha sweep the women's 10K

 Brazilian's Poliana Okimoto Cintra and Ana Marcela Cunha sweep the women's 10K

 
Poliana Okimoto Cintra (BRA) and Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) signaled Brazil's intentions to be the faces of women's open water swimming in the lead up to the next Olympic Games.  Okimoto Cintra touched just 3 tenths of a second ahead of her teammate in the women's 10K race.  Angela Maurer of Germany finished a full second behind the winner to claim a bronze medal.  For the Brazilian swimmers it was second medal for each at these World Championships at.  Okimoto Cintra finished second to Haley Anderson (USA) in Saturday's 5K race, Cunha earned a bronze medal in that race.
 
"I'm so excited.  I have been training for this medal, even in freezing water, I have trained for this race, so this medal is pricelss.  I am really happy to have my second medal in these World Championships. I felt strong during the race.  Ana Marcella and I made an agreement that once we got into the lead we would not let anyone pass." said Okimoto Cintra.  Okimoto Cintra won two silver medals in 5k and 10k at the 2006 FINA Open Water World Championships in Naples, Italy. 
 
Her teammate said, "It's amazing to win two medals in these world championships.  It shows that Brazil is doing serious work.  Two years ago in Shanghai I finished in 11th position and I was unable to compete in the Olympic Games.  I watched the Olympics on TV.  I went to work and I improved a lot. Today I am the second best open water swimmer in the world, just behind another Brazilian athlete.  In the 2015 Kazan world championships I want to be in the first 10 positions so that I can be at the Olympics in my country.  I need to relax for a few days before the 25K on Saturday."  Cunha won gold in Women's 25k in 2011 and  now has two bronze medals in the 5K event, one from 2010 Roberval and one from the 5K last Saturday.  Today's bronze medal was her first in the 10k distance.  .

Olympic Swim Marathon champion Eva Ristov (HUN) led in a comfortable pace controlling the pace for the first hour and 15 minutes before allowing an assortment of swimmers catch up with her.  At the 90 minute mark there were 6 swimmers at the front of the pack including Maurer, Keri-Anne Payne (GBR), Killiope Araouzou (GRE) and Martina Grimaldi (ITA) each challenged the Hungarian swimmer for the lead. It was the Brazilians that swam past the group leaving the pack to fight it out for the bronze medal.  Keri-Anne Payne (GBR), the silver medalist in the Beijing Olympics won this race in 2009 and 2011 and dropped back to find clear water before she challenged for the podium.  Payne finished in fourth place, outside of the podium in London, and in today's race she fell back to 14th place.  Grimaldi (ITA) who had won a medal in this race at each of the last three world championships finished in 12th place.

Maurer who looked exhausted from the effort was surprisingly upbeat in her analysis of the race: "I can only say it was great; it's my first medal in the last 10 years"  The German swimmer won a silver medal in the same harbour in 2003 swimming a second slower that she did today.  Maurer owns two FINA gold medals in the 25K event, mostly recently from the 2009 Rome World Championships.  She and 29 other swimmers finished the race in under two hours.  There were a total of 49 athletes completed the race in the 25.3 degree water.
 
The winning time of Okimoto Cintra was 1:58:19.2 and has been under two hours only three other times in hisitory: in 2002, 2003 and 200.5 
 
Time at 2.5K  --  30:10.5  time for leader Ristov HUN
2.  Payne GBR +1.6;  3.  Villaecija ESP +2.8; 4.  Bruni ITA +3.5; 5.  5.  Cunha +4.9; Grimaldi +5.3
 
 
Time at 5K  -- 59.39.4  time for leader Ristov HUN
2.  Payne GRB +1.6;  3.  Grimaldi ITA +3.6:  4.  Huskisson GBR +3.6;  Maurer GER +4.8
  
Time at 7.5K -- 1:29.30.6 time for leader:  Araouzou GRE
2.  Payne GBR +1.4;  3.  Okimoto Cintra BRA +3.2;  4.  Cunha BRA +3.6;  5.  Bruni ITA +3.8
 
FINAL RESULTS: 
1.  Poliana Okimoto Cintra, BRA  --  1:58.19.2
2.  Ana Marcella Cunha, BRA  --  1:58.19.5
3.  Angela Maurer, GER  --  1:58.20.2
4.  Kalliopi Araouzou, GRE  --  1:58:21.3
5.  Anna Olasz, HUN  --  1:58:22.4
6.  Ophelie Aspord, FRA  --  1:58.23.2
7.  Fang Yanqiao, CHN  --  1:58:23.2
8.  Rebecca Mann, USA  --  1:58:23.4
9.  Eva Risztov, HUN  --  1:58.23.4
10.  Christine Jennings, USA  --  1:58.23.4
 

 

Poliana Okimoto

I established a strategy with my coach (Ricardo Cintra) which was not lagging far behind. In the last 500 meters anything can happen and the example was the men's 10 km race the day before. So when we saw we were both in front, we swam very strong and made a sort of wall, lock so nobody passed by us.

There's no secret to the result that Brazil has succeeded in marathons. Everything is the result of hard work. I am part of the Brazilian swimming since I was 17 and only a few years I have been earning the rewards. That's it. We are planting now to maybe reap even more in the 2016 Olympics.

After the Olympic Games last year was very difficult. Many people wanted to retire me and the psychological factor that was what weighed more. I was very well prepared for London and having to abandon the race was too painful. This gold in the 10 km is a new beginning.

Ana Marcela Cunha

We knew that the whole podium of the 2012 London Olympics was here, so I tried to stay in front a bit earlier than usually. Of course everyone wants to win the race, but there comes a time we have to ensure the podium. And that's what we did. The medal of 5km has been a surprise for me and I am very happy. Now,  I have three days to rest and try more than silver in the 25 km.

In the last World Championships I was in 11th place and I could not qualify for the Olympics. I watched it all on television, so for me it is also a new beginning.