Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha wins the Women’s 25km to claim her fifth FINA World Championship open water title in the disciple. Italy’s Dario Verani come-from-behind victory in 25km helps his nation clinch the FINA Championships Trophy.
MEN’S 25KM INDIVIDUAL
Italy’s Dario Verani was the Master of the Marathon winning the men’s 25km race in a time of 5:02.21.5 by overtaking Axel Reymond of France in the final 50-meter sprint to the finish. The Italian swimmer captured Italy’s second gold medal which was also his first world championship medal. The versatile Verani was the 5K bronze medalist in May of 2021 at the European Championships. Verani is trained by Fabrizio Antonelli, who is also the coach of Gregorio Paltrinieri and Domenico Acerenza – each stood twice on the medals podium at Lupa Lake. Verani’s margin of victory over Reymond was just 1.2 seconds; Hungary’s Peter Galicz finished 13.9 seconds behind the Italian 25km champion.
The Italian haul of 6 medals, 2 of each variety, confirmed that the FINA Championships Trophy will be heading to Rome following the medal ceremonies on the last day of open water competition. Italy’s points tally of 134 points was decisive ahead of Germany’s 119 points and France’s 96 points. The nations of Europe dominated the scoring for the FINA Championships Trophy taking the top four positions in the table.
The Italian haul of 6 medals, 2 of each variety, confirmed that the FINA Championships Trophy will be heading to Rome following the medal ceremonies on the last day of open water competition. Italy’s points tally of 134 points was decisive ahead of Germany’s 119 points and France’s 96 points. The nations of Europe dominated the scoring for the FINA Championships Trophy taking the top four positions in the table.
WOMEN’S 25KM INDIVIDUAL
Ana Marcela Cunha, the most decorated female open water swimmer in history won the women’s 25k, slapping the touchpad at 5:24.15.0. Her 7 FINA World Championship gold medals include 5 in the 25km distance. All 14 of the medals won at the World Championships are in open water events and she has stood on the medals podium in every edition of the FINA World Championship event beginning in Shanghai 2011. Coached by Fernando Possenti, Cunha’s medal tally included gold medals in the 5km and the 25km and a bronze in the 10km.
Brazil was 5th place in points in the tally for the FINA Championships Trophy, and every point was scored by Cunha. FINA recognized her as the Open Water Swimmer of the Year 7 times.
Her productivity is also matched by her longevity in the open water disciplines. The Brazilian placed fifth in the first edition of the Marathon 10km at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, one of only two active swimmers at Lupa Lake with this experience. She overcame the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics and her 10th place finish on Copacabana Beach at her home Olympics, when expectations of a medal were at their highest.
Cunha’s most significant and celebrated victory was on 4 August 2021 when she clinched the Olympic Gold medal at the Covid-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Odaiba Marine Park. Cunha’s margin of victory over Tokyo silver medalist Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) was less than a second. The very same Dutch swimmer finished in third place in today’s 25km, this time only 0.3 seconds behind Cunha. Germany’s Lea Boy finished just 0.2 seconds back but ahead of van Rouwendaal in order to clinch the silver medal; Boy’s first medal at Lupa Lake was gold in the Mixed Relay.
