Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy won his third open water world medal in as many days of racing. Paltrinieri pulled his Italian teammate Domenico Acerenza along with him in the final 300 meters of the race as both swimmers passed Germany’s Florian Wellbrock on the final straightaway, leaving the defending champion to claw tooth and nail for the bronze medal.
Rio Olympic champion Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) wins her first FINA World Championships in the Women’s 10km open water event
Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) won a fierce battle in the final sprint in the last meters of the 10km race that ended with her hand, the first among 58 swimmers, decisively striking the touchpad at 2:02.29.2. With today’s victory, she and Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) are the only women to have won this event at the Olympic Games, European Championships and the FINA World Championships. Ilchenko was the 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in the inaugural Marathon 10k. Ironically a race in which today’s 10km bronze medalist, Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) finished in 5th place nearly 14 years ago at the Beijing Summer Games. Ilchenko was also the FINA World champion in 2007.
