A flood of orange jubilation for Ferry Weertman, of
Netherlands, who claims his country’s second Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio
Olympic Games in the Marathon Swimming events. Weertman overtook Australia’s Jack Poort at 1:38.50
into the race to put himself into position for one of the wildest sprints to
the finish ever witnessed. Weertman joins Olympic gold medallist Sharon van
Rouwendaal (NED) who won yesterday’s women’s competition.
This is
the third Olympic gold medal for Netherlands following Maarten van der
Weijden’s victory eight years ago at the inaugural 10km in the Beijing Olympic
Games. Hungary, Russia and Tunisia each hold one Olympic gold medal from either
Beijing or London. Swimmers from the UK finished second and third in the
women’s 10km in Beijing and earned a second silver medal in the London Olympics
four years ago.
Unlike
Van Rouwendaal (NED) who won by a comfortable margin, Weertman (NED) managed to
hit the touchpad first after an epic battle to the finish with six other
rivals. His 1.88m height may have offered the final advantage he needed to win.
Weertman
hit the touchpad at 1:52.59.8 just edging out Spyros Gianniotis (GRE) who
challenged the Dutch swimmer with a fast sprint for the touchpads just 100m
from the finish. Gianniotis swam outside of the six person pack that formed
around Weertman after he disposed of Poort (AUS). The six included Marc-Antoine
Olivier (FRA), Jordan Wilimovsky (USA), Jack Burnell (GBR), Evgenii Drattcev
(RUS) and briefly London Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli (TUN). It was clear
to most observers that Weertman touched first but the finish time for
Gianniotis (GRE) was identical to the time for the Dutch swimmer.
Weertman
recently won the 10km event at the 2016 European Open Water Swimming
championships held in Hoorn, located in his country. The 2015 European Open
Water Swimmer of the Year placed second to USA’s Jordan Wilimovsky at the 2015
FINA World Championships in Kazan. Last summer in Russia, Weertman raced in the
heats of the 400m and 1500m freestyle events. He is coached by Marcel Wouda who
coached the 2008 Olympic champion Van der Weijden. In 1998, Wouda became his
nation’s first world champion by winning the 200m individual medley.
“This
medal means a lot. I have been working very hard for six years to get to the
Olympics”, said Weertman moments after receiving his Olympic gold medal. “It
was such a tough race from the start. I did my little share at the front which
I don’t normally do that early in the race. It made it a little bit tougher for
me. Even after I touched the wall I wasn’t sure that I had won. It took me a
while. I called my friends back home and they told me I had won. I couldn’t
believe it, I still can’t believe it.”
As the
initial results were declared a Photo Finish, it was confirmed that five-time
Olympian Gianniotis (GRE) was the silver medallist. The 36-year-old Greek
swimmer, oldest in this competition made his inaugural debut in the 400m, 1500m
and 4x200m freestyle relay at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Four years
later Gianniotis (GRE) would swim in the finals of the 2004 Athens Olympics in
his own country where he placed 7th in the 400m freestyle and 5th in the 1500m
freestyle events. He has raced in all three editions of the Olympic Marathon
improving on his medal position as he ages. In 2008 at the Beijing Olympic
Games he finished 16th and four years ago in London he finished in 4th place
just off the podium.
The
swimmer from Greece shared that his prolific swimming career may be ending with
an Olympic silver medal. “Every single metre of training, every single day and
hour, it’s just come down to the perfect moment. This was my last race and I
think that it is a really good way to go out.”
The
bronze medal was presented to Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA) after some confusion
that he might have to share the medal with China’s Zu Lijun. The results
flashed a tie for third between these two swimmers but that was quickly changed
to fourth place for the Chinese swimmers although their finish time was
identical.
Olivier
shared: “When I touched I didn’t know. It’s only when I got into the boat that
I was told that I had finished third, and then I started crying. I am very
proud of my medal today. I am also proud of my teammate Aurelie Muller for her
swim yesterday.” Muller was disqualified at the finish line in the
women’s race for interfering with another swimmer.
The
morning unfolded as another spectacular day on Copacabana Beach where swimming
fans and the public came out to see the fastest open water swimmers
representing 23 nations across the five continents. Supporters waving Tunisian
flags and a yellow boxing kangaroo were seen on the beach near the position
where the 25 swimmers entered the water. Italy and the USA had two competitors
each as two men from each nation placed in the top 10 at last summer’s World
Championships in Kazan.
Jarrod
Poort (AUS) set an early pace for the men’s 10km race leaving the chase pack to
swim their own race. The 21 year old Poort widened his lead during the first
lap to a staggering 57.6 seconds leaving 2012 Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli
(TUN) and 23 others to battle for second in their own “time zone”. Mellouli was
closely followed by Mark Papp (HUN), Erwin Maldonado (VEN) and Federico Vanelli
(ITA).
One of
the greatest swimmers to come from the African continent, Tunisia’s Mellouli is
the only man to have struck Olympic gold in both the pool and in the Olympic
Marathon. Mellouli won the 1500m event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and
four years later he was crowned the champion in London’s Olympic Marathon.
Before today’s race he told his followers that he would “fight on” quoting the
slogan of his University of Southern California’s alma mater.
By the
midpoint of the race Poort (AUS) had widened the gap between himself and the
others to a mind bending 1:16 seconds. Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA), 20 years of
age, finished 6th in the Kazan world championships was the “first of the rest”
followed closely by 23 year old Jack Burnell (GBR) who was the 2016 silver
medallist in the 10km at the European Championships. Just 1.5 seconds behind
him was 33-year-old Evgeni Drattcev (RUS) who placed 5th in the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Marathon.
Poort
(AUS) continued to hold a commanding position in the third lap while Olympic
champion Mellouli (TUN) and the chase group worked hard to catch the Australian
leader. Poort covered the 7.5km distance in 1:25.15 while the gold medallist
from Tunisia positioned himself only 40.4 seconds back. Burnell (GBR) and last
summer’s world champion Jordan Wilimovsky (USA) were in hot pursuit for an
Olympic medal as was 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Richard Weinberger (CAN) who
had worked himself into 5th position.
Poort
would relinquish his lead at 1:38.50 seconds into the nearly two hour race to
Ferry Weertman (NED) the silver medallist from Kazan. Weertman had been
conserving his energy having positioned himself in the rear of the chase groups
for nearly 85% of the race. The Dutch swimmer was 19th through the first timing
gate, in 10th position at the midpoint of race and still sitting back in 15th
position at the 7.5km mark.
While
Weertman would lead the final sprint and would successfully defend the charge
from Gianniotis (GRE), the defending Olympic champion Mellouli (TUN) was left
behind and could only finish in 12th place. Before today’s race Mellouli said:
“It’s been quite an amazing journey for a kid from north Africa to come to this
level and to fight all the way. I don’t know if there’s another medal in me. I
will just go out and try to represent my country, my family and everyone that
supported me, the best that I can.”
As if
he had predicted the finish where six swimmers raced side by side towards the
touchpad, Mellouli (TUN) added: “It’s tough out there. You don’t have your own
lane line and it’s sometimes a battle against the watch, sometimes a battle
against the elements, and it’s always a battle against other swimmers.”
The
race will be remembered for the heroic effort of Australia’s Poort who made a
noble drive for the Olympic podium but was swallowed up by the field that
overhauled him within sight of the finish line. Poort finished in 20th place,
40.9 seconds behind the new Olympic champion. Jack Burnell (GBR) and Vitaly
Khudyakov (KAZ) were disqualified. The reigning world champion Wilimovsky (USA)
was slotted into 5th place. Richard Weinberger (CAN), the 2012 bronze medallist
finished in 16th place.
Medallists:
Gold: Ferry Weertman (NED), 1:52:59.8
Silver: Spiros Gianniotis (GRE), 1:52:59.8
Bronze: Marc-Antonie Olivier (FRA), 1:53:02.0
Gold: Ferry Weertman (NED), 1:52:59.8
Silver: Spiros Gianniotis (GRE), 1:52:59.8
Bronze: Marc-Antonie Olivier (FRA), 1:53:02.0
Fonte e
fotos FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE NATATION
The medallists in the men's race - Photo by Giorgio
Scala/Deepbluemedia
Greg Eggert, FINA Media Committee member
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