Nine Different Nations Earn Medals in Barcelona's Moll de la Fusta Harbour
Nine Different Nations Earn Medals in Barcelona's Moll de la Fusta
Thomas Lurz took home two of the six gold medals from the open water discipline, claiming his first title in the 25K and leading his German teammates to their first victory in the Team 5K event. Lurz left Spain with four medals, his new tally stands at 20 world championships titles, the most in history for an open water swimmer. Angela Maurer was a "blink" away from winning her third gold medal in the 25K on her 38th birthday. Her silver in FINA's longest event and a bronze in the 10K added to Germany's bounty of six medals..
Poliana Okimoto Cintra and Ana Marcela Cunha each found their way to the podium multiple times in the 5K and 10K events. The Brazilian swimmers asserting that they will be a force to be reckoned with at the next Olympics in waters off their shores. Okimoto Cintra, the winner of the 10K also earned a silver in the 5K and a bronze in the 5K Team event.
Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli was crowned champion in the 5K. The Tunisian world champ couldn't avoid contact with many swimmers in the large field of competitors, likely delaying his arrival at the finish where would earn bronze in the Olympic distance. Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece reprised his role as the victor, two years after he won the 10K in Shanghai. Haley Anderson of the USA, the London 10K silver medalist earned her first world championship medal winning the 5K. Olympic bronze medalist Martina Grimaldi or Italy earned her first medal in the 25K event.
Medals Table:
Germany: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze; 6 Total
Brazil: 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze; 5 Total
Greece: 1 Gold, 1 Silver; 2 Total
Tunisia: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze; 2 Total
Tunisia: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze; 2 Total
USA: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze; 2 Total
Italy: 1 Gold; 1 Total
Belgium: 1 Silver, 1 Total
Canada: 1 Silver; 1 Total
Russia: 1 Bronze; 1 Total
Championships Trophy:
1. Brazil: 24 Mens Points, 74 Women's Points; 98 Total
2. Germany: 54 Men's Points; 40 Women's Points: 94 Total
3. USA: 12 Men's Points; 53 Women's Points
4. Greece: 26 Men's Points, 24 Women's Points; 50 Total
5. Italy: 6 Men's Points, 41 Women's Points; 47 Total
Women's 5K
Gold: Haley Anderson, USA -- 56:34.2
Silver: Poliana Okimoto Cintra, BRA -- 56:34.4
Bronze: Ana Marcela Cunha, BRA -- 56.44.7
Haley Anderson of the USA won the women's 5K race outsprinting Brazilian Poliana Okimoto Cintra in the final stretch to the finish . Anderson timed her stroke cycle perfectly and reached for the touch-pad just ahead of the Brazilian who was leading the 42 swimmers for most of the final 1500m. The margin of victory between the swimmers was 0.2 seconds.
Anderson, the silver medallist in the 10km Olympic Marathon at last year’s London Olympic Games, was the surprise leader during the first lap: "I didn't realise that I was going to be in the lead. When you are the leader you are in control of everyone behind you. If I drift off course I take them with me." Okimoto led the race for most of the second lap with Anderson trailing by a full body length. Anderson is one of four swimmers who won medals in open water swimming at both the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
Anderson, still dripping with water from the Barcelona Harbor was all smiles about her race; "It feels good, it was my first medal at the worlds, I usually swim the 10K but the 5K is half the distance and double the fun. My plan for the second half of the race was to get beside Poliana and draft off of her. I waited for the perfect moment to spring ahead. You don't really know how much you have left, but it was a strong finish."
Just days after her silver medal at the Olympics, Anderson returned to the University of Southern California for her final year and to compete on her college swim team. "I got right back into the water after London and I really didn't have a break from swimming so I'm going to take one after this." She finished eighth at the US Trials in the 10km in May and wasn't eligible to race the 10K in Barcelona.
Brazil's emergence as a power in open water swimming is becoming clear. Okimoto Cintra earned her third medal in the 5K race having previously collected a silver in Naples 2006 and a bronze in Rome in 2009. Her teammate Ana Marcela Cunha finished in third place about 10 seconds behind Okimoto Cintra. Cunha is the owner of a bronze medal from the 2010 open water world championships held in Roberval, Canada. Brazil is only the second country to win two medals in this event
Men's 5K
Gold: Oussama Mellouli, TUN -- 53:30.4
Silver: Eric Hedlin, CAN -- 53.31.6
Bronze: Thomas Lurz, GER -- 53.32.2
The 2012 Olympic 10K champion Ous Mellouli from Tunisia won his first world championship title in the 5K in Barcelona's first open water event. Mellouli, an accomplish pool swimmer sprinted past newcomer Eric Hedlin of Canada and Thomas Lurz of Germany on his way to the touchpad. Mellouli beat Lurz in the Olympic distance event last August, but Lurz has been the dominate force in the 5K event having won the last seven consecutive world titles, a reign that began with the German's first title at the 2005 world championships in Montreal, where he posted the fastest 5K time in history.
Mellouli had planned to take a year off after the Olympics: "I didn't expect to win the 5K. I am really happy with the results. I took 6 months off and got back into training not too long ago. To be on top of the world is quite exciting for me. I'm 28 years old, I have been swimming for 10 years and I raced in four different Olympics. After London I felt mentally that I was saturated. I was prepared to walk away with my gold medal and be happy for the rest of my life. After talking to my friends and family I realized that I wanted to do more in this sport."
The Tunisian won his first medal in Barcelona, 10 years ago finishing third in the 400IM won by Michael Phelps. Mellouli is also the only athlete to have won Olympic and world championship gold medals in both long course swimming and open water swimming events. A gold medalist in the 1500m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the same event at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Last summer in London he also earned a bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle in the week before his victory in The Serpentine in front of 45,000 fans. (NOTE - check with Pedro for the accuracuy of this count)
Mellouli won in a time of 53:30.4 (take out if you don't display results agate above), beating 20 year old Canadian Eric Hedlin by 1.2 seconds. Just two weeks earlier Hedlin won a bronze medal in the 800m at the Universade in Kazan. The first swimmer from Canada to medal since 1994 was honest about his race: "I knew Mellouli was right there, he caught me in the last meters. I tried to push harder and I knew that he could close pretty fast. I just wanted to stay on his draft at the end see where it would take me. I made sure that I was right on his feet and stayed with him. I was not expecting that to beat Thomas Lurz."
Thirty-three year old Lurz was 1.8 seconds behind the Greek who ended his streak of 5K titles. Lurz spoke about Mellouli's speed: "I knew that Ous would be very fast in the finish, he swims about 5 seconds faster than me in the 100m freestyle." With this podium, Lurz has now won 21 medals and is the only swimmer to win a medal at 10 different open water world championship events.
Men's 10K
Gold: Spryidon Gianniotis, GRE -- 1:49.11.8
Silver: Thomas Lurz, GER -- 1:49.14.5
Bronze: Oussama Mellouli, TUN -- 1:49.19.2
Thirty-three year old world champion Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece soundly defeated two of his toughest rivals to win the 10k event in Moll de la Fusta harbour. The Greek swimmer offered his recap of the final straightaway. "At the last buoy I looked behind and saw that I had a three or four body-length lead. I tried to keep my speed but my head was hurting. The last 100m was the worst feeling of my life. I put my head down and hoped that Lurz and Mellouli would not come anywhere near me."
Gianniotis was already the oldest champion of this event two years ago in Shanghai when he became the first swimmer to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games. He is only the second male to successfully defend his world title since Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia repeated in 2008. His winning time of 1:49:11.8 is the second fastest winning time in 13 editions.
"It was unbelievable today", Gianniotis said. "My plan was to swim three laps comfortably and then get out in front on the final lap. At the 8K mark I took the lead and worked it meter by meter. I only had one tactic which was not to let anyone swim next to me, I didn't want to get physical. Whenever anyone swam next to me I pushed up the pace. I'm quite good at sprinting." Gianniotis was fresh for his 10km race as he did not race in the 5K held 48 hours earlier. " I watched Mellouli race in his 5K and I knew that he had more speed than me. I pushed it a bit in the last 300m just to stay ahead of him. In the last 50m I never felt so bad. I almost fainted I was so tired."
Gianniotis, 33 years old, took several months off from swimming following his fourth place finish at the London Olympics Games. "I wasn't in good shape psychologically after missing the podium at the Olympics. I came to Barcelona after only three months of training," said the Greek champion. "I didn't believe that I could win this year. I was world champion in 2011 but I didn't think I could be first here. I was disappointed from my swim at the Olympics, I really wanted to be on the podium. I didn't know if I would continue swimming. I didn't do a lot of training since I got back into the pool in March."
"It was unbelievable today", Gianniotis said. "My plan was to swim three laps comfortably and then get out in front on the final lap. At the 8K mark I took the lead and worked it meter by meter. I only had one tactic which was not to let anyone swim next to me, I didn't want to get physical. Whenever anyone swam next to me I pushed up the pace. I'm quite good at sprinting." Gianniotis was fresh for his 10km race as he did not race in the 5K held 48 hours earlier. " I watched Mellouli race in his 5K and I knew that he had more speed than me. I pushed it a bit in the last 300m just to stay ahead of him. In the last 50m I never felt so bad. I almost fainted I was so tired."
Gianniotis, 33 years old, took several months off from swimming following his fourth place finish at the London Olympics Games. "I wasn't in good shape psychologically after missing the podium at the Olympics. I came to Barcelona after only three months of training," said the Greek champion. "I didn't believe that I could win this year. I was world champion in 2011 but I didn't think I could be first here. I was disappointed from my swim at the Olympics, I really wanted to be on the podium. I didn't know if I would continue swimming. I didn't do a lot of training since I got back into the pool in March."
Thomas Lurz was hoping to become the first man to win the event four times but finished 2.7 seconds back for the silver medal, winning his 8th medal in this event, a record. He previously won a medal in both the 5k and 10k event in five successive years, between 2005 and 2009 and he swept gold medals in both the 5K and the 10K events in 2006 and 2009. The German has now won medals at a record 10 World Open Water Championship editions, breaking the record of Dyatchin who has won medals at nine different World Championships since 2000.
Finishing 7.4 seconds behind the champion was Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia who was swimming in his 6th open water race. The Tunisia swimmer earned the second medal in Open Water events at World Championships, the most for an African country.
Women's 10K
Gold: Poliana Okimoto Cintra, BRA -- 1:58.19.2
Silver: Ana Marcela Cunha, BRA -- 1:58.19.5
Bronze: Angela Maurer, GER -- 1:58:20.2
Brazil held a swimmers version of Carnivale at Moll de la Fusta harbour. Poliana Okimoto Cintra and Ana Marcela Cunha signaled Brazil's intentions to be the faces of women's open water swimming in the lead up to their home country's Olympic Games in Rio 2016. Okimoto Cintra touched just three tenths of a second ahead of her teammate in the women's 10km race becoming the first gold-silver for Brazil in any of the current events on the programme of the FINA World Championships.
"I'm so excited. I have been training very hard for this medal. I have trained for this race even in freezing water, so this medal is pricelss. I am really happy to have my second medal in these World Championships. I felt strong during the race," said Okimoto Cintra. Okimoto Cintra won two silver medals in 5km and 10km at the 2006 FINA Open Water World Championships in Naples, Italy. She becomes the first non-European country to win this event at the world championships.
Silver medalist Cunha 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. 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 racing in the 25km."
Cunha was the 25K champion two years ago in Shangai and owns a bronze medal in the 5km event from the 2010 FINA Open Water World Championships in Roberval, Canada. This bronze medal was her first in the 10K distance, making her the 6th female athlete to have won a world championship medal in the 5K, 10K and the 25K. She was the youngest swimmer in the Open Water Marathon 10K at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Olympic marathon champion Eva Ristov of Hungary led in a comfortable pace controlling the pace for the first hour and 15 minutes before allowing a bevy of swimmers catch her. The Brazilians swam past the group leaving the pack to fight it out for third place. Angela Maurer of Germany finished a full second behind the Brazilian champion to claim the bronze medal, her third in this distance and the 10th of her career. At age 37 she is the oldest medallist in women's open water events at the world championships. 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 10K medal in the last 10 years." Maurer won a silver medal in the same harbour in 2003 swimming a second slower that she did today. She earned two FINA gold medals in the 25km event, mostly recently from the 2009 Rome World Championships.
5K Team Event
Gold: Germany -- 52.54.9
Silver: Greece -- 54:03.3
Bronze: Brazil -- 54:03.5
With Thomas Lurz as their "engine", Germany captured the 5K Team event beating 21 other nations. Lurz was joined by Isabelle Harle and Christian Reichert to capture the gold medal for Germany. Two years ago in Shanghai the German team, which included Lurz and Harle, placed third. Lurz said "We had a good race today and our pool swimmers were here to support. I am happy that they were here to see us win. We knew that we were swimming fast, our coaches were signaling to us from outside that we were on a fast pace. It really was a perfect race. I think our goal was maybe to win a medal, but to win the gold medal was absolutely unexpected. I was shocked."
Perhaps the most interesting open water swimming event, it is also newest having been introduced in 2011 in Shanghai. The Team 5K event is one in which each country has three swimmers, a mix from each gender, but usually one female and two men. The trio of teammates start, swim and finish together with each team leaving one minute after the other. The athletes of each nation swim closely together applying strategies and working together to achieve the fastest time of the third swimmer of the group. An element of teamwork is integral to each team's success as each squad determines their positioning and pacing. The leader of each team encourages his or her teammates to draft alongside to pull them along. The closer and straighter the swimmers swim together, the faster their time will generally be.
Spyridon Gianniotis led the Greek team to their silver medal performance, more than a minute slower than the German champions. Gianniotis won the Olympic gold medal in the 10km at the London Olympic Games and was the winner of Monday's 10km in Barcelona. Kalliopi Araouzou who finished fourth in both the women's 5km and 10km and Antonios Fokaidis joined in the team's efforts.
Just two tenths of a second behind the Greeks was the team of Brazil which has been swimming extraordinarily well in this harbour. Poliana Okimoto Cintra, the winner of Tueday's women's 10km race was teamed with Allan Do Carmo and Samuel De Bona and they swam well enough to earn a bronze medal. Australia was fourth, Italy finished fifth and the USA, the reigning champions from Shanghai placed sixth.
In the case of the team from Hungary which finished ninth, they were powered by Olympic 10km gold medallist Eva Ristov and Anna Olasz, who finished fifth in the women's 10km race. Mark Papp was the sole male on his squad where all other teams included a second male athlete.
In the case of the team from Hungary which finished ninth, they were powered by Olympic 10km gold medallist Eva Ristov and Anna Olasz, who finished fifth in the women's 10km race. Mark Papp was the sole male on his squad where all other teams included a second male athlete.
Men’s 25K
Gold: Thomas Lurz, GER -- 4:46.27.0
Gold: Thomas Lurz, GER -- 4:46.27.0
Silver: Brian Ryckeman, BEL -- 4:47.24.4
Bronze: Evgeniy Drattcev, RUS -- 4:47.28.1
Thomas Lurz won his first title in the 25K event becoming the only male swimmer to have won a gold medal in every open water discipline. "I'm really satisfied with this gold. Now I have been at the top of the podium at every distance in the open water world championships," said the German. the first from his country to win a medal in this event.
Lurz raced a total of 45K, winning a medal in each of four open water events contested over the first eight days of the championships. "I was a little bit lucky to touch first because we were all together and it is the person that has the better line and who can swim alone while other guys are pushing against each other that can arrive first. I was lucky to be in the middle and I had a little bit of space. Touching first was very good for me. I closed my eyes for the last 100m, I was hurting, I had so much pain but I said 'now I give it my best'.
Lurz is the only the second man to win this race in a time under five hours. He is now the fastest surpassing Yuri Kudinov who was the first and only swimmer to break five hours swimming 4:55:51.12 in 2000 when the Russian won the first of his five titles in the event. Brian Ryckeman finished four tenths of a second behind Lurz to claim Belgium's first medal of any color in open water swimming.
Russia's Evgeniy Drattcev earned a bronze medal to give Russia a record 16 world championship medals in 16 editions of FINA open water swimming championships. This is the eighth consecutive edition of this race to have been won by a swimmer representing a different nation.
Women’s 25K
Gold: Martina Grimaldi, ITA -- 5:07.19.7
Silver: Angela Maurer, GER -- 5:07.19.8
Eva Fabian, USA -- 5:07:20.4
Martina Grimaldi of Italy won her first title in the 25km narrowly beating Angela Maurer of Germany. The margin between gold and silver was one-tenth of a second in a race of that was more than five hours long. The Italian swimmer said "I felt very good during the race and getting this gold medal is amazing. I felt that I swam at my best. Today is a great day in my life. The week didn't start in a good way and I was a little bit upset with my performances earlier this week. But the end is the best because I was able to win the gold medal. The value of this medal is priceless."
Grimaldi won her second gold medal and fourth total medal in open water swimming at the world championships. All her previous medals had come in the 10km freeststyle where she owns a complete set of open water medals. She was the 10K champion in the 2010 Open water world championships in Roberval, Canada, finished second in Shanghai 2011, and earned a bronze in her own country during the Rome World Championships in 2009. She is the second Italian woman to win this event after Viola Valli in 2001. This is Italy's seventh world championship gold medal in women's open water disciplines
Maurer hoped to celebrate her 38th birthday with a gold medal but will settle for her second consecutive silver medal in this event, and her eighth in this event. She offered: "Second place is fine but when I touched I saw my name in first place. At first it was hard to accept that I didn't win the race. 'I was thinking 'what did I do wrong?' But this is sport and I am happy to be here with a silver medal." The German swimmer won her first medal in the 25K, a bronze in the very first edition of the FINA Open Water Swimming Championships in Honolulu. Maurer was twice before the world champion in the 25K in Naples in 2006 and in Rome in 2009. Two years ago she earned a silver medal in this event in Shanghai. Ten years ago In this same harbour Maurer earned a 10K silver medal finishing behind Italy's Valli in the 10K. Her 2013 time was 28 minutes faster than her time a decade ago.
Eva Fabian of the USA finished in third place giving the USA their first medal in this race since 2007, when American Kalyn Keller earned silver. Fabian joins Keller as the only USA swimmers to win multiple open water world championship medals in women's disciplines, as both now have two. Fabian won gold in the 5K in Roberval, Canada in 2010.
