Germany doubled up in gold medals in
Egypt as veteran Leonie Beck came back from way off the pace to secure the
first World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup win for women in 2023.
It looked like it might be another
hard-fought win for 2016 Olympic champion Sharon van Rouwendaal of the
Netherlands as the 29-year-old stayed in the top two for the first 8000 meters
of the 10km at the first stop of the 2023 World Cup in Somabay, Egypt. Van
Rouwendaal had stayed within two seconds of leader Moesha Johnson of Australia
for the first 6000 meters before making her move on the second half.
Van Rouwendaal and Johnson were at
the front of the lead pack that also included the usual suspects in reigning
Olympic champion Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil and two-time 10km World champ
Aurelie Muller of France. Van Rouwendaal, Cunha, and Muller all won at least
one medal at last year’s World Championships in Budapest where the Dutchwoman
won the gold medal.
At the 8000-meter check-in, Germany’s
Leonie Beck had emerged to take the lead, coming from well off the pace early.
Beck was in 18th place at 2000 meters, and 12th at 4000. By the 6km mark, she
had risen steadily to ninth. Over the second half, the pace started to slow
down significantly, as it helped her rise up in the pack without needing to
expel too much energy.
However Beck admitted that the race
fell into her hands and she could not have predicted that is how it would go.
"After half of the race, I came
into the race and I found my speed," Beck said. "It definitely wasn’t
the plan to be so behind at the beginning."
Throughout the final lap, Beck and
van Rouwendaal distance themselves from the field, out-lasting both Cunha and
Muller who were third and fourth respectively.
“I was feeling Sharon’s hands on my
feet the entire time,” Beck said. “I was trying to manage the speed and trying
to stay in the front position. I could manage this well and then in the last
50m you’ve got to try everything that you can and go all out.”
Beck won the 10km at 2:04:04.6, three
seconds ahead of van Rouwendaal (2:04:07.3), and another seven ahead of Cunha
(2:04:11.0).
“I’m very satisfied with today’s
performance,” Van Rouwendaal said. “I was feeling very good so I thought, ‘Why
don’t I go for the sprint leader points as well?’ It was really enjoyable to
race again.”
Water temperatures was reported to be
at 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) while water was visibly choppy at points
during the race.
“There were very hard conditions, but
that made it real open water swimming,” Van Rouwendaal said. “I’m very happy to
start the season like this with a second place. Hopefully more will come.”
Cunha stayed even with the lead pack
but could not turn on the sprint like she has in the past which has made her so
dangerous over the last ten years. Cunha out-touched Muller (2:04:12.1) and
fellow countrywoman Viviane Jungblut (2:04:12.6) for third place.
“Wow, today was a really tough race,”
Cunha said. “My competitors were really well prepared. Our goal for the season
is the World Championships in Fukuoka. Of course, I really like competing in
the World Cups, but the main focus is on the upcoming World Championships. It's
good to be on the podium, but it's also good to continue focusing on what our
main goals are, and that is on Fukuoka.”
“It’s been six months since my last
competition, with a surgery in the middle,” Cunha said. “I was 3 months without
being in the water. Of course, I always come into a competition trying to win,
to do my best. But to be on the podium here gives me a lot of confidence to
continue pursuing and continue doing the things I need to do to accomplish what
I want in Fukuoka.”
“I’m very satisfied with today’s
performance,” Van Rouwendaal said. “I was feeling very good so I thought, ‘Why
don’t I go for the sprint leader points as well?’ It was really enjoyable to
race again.”
Water temperatures was reported to be
at 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) while water was visibly choppy at points
during the race.
“There were very hard conditions, but
that made it real open water swimming,” Van Rouwendaal said. “I’m very happy to
start the season like this with a second place. Hopefully more will come.”
Cunha stayed even with the lead pack
but could not turn on the sprint like she has in the past which has made her so
dangerous over the last ten years. Cunha out-touched Muller (2:04:12.1) and
fellow countrywoman Viviane Jungblut (2:04:12.6) for third place.
“Wow, today was a really tough race,”
Cunha said. “My competitors were really well prepared. Our goal for the season
is the World Championships in Fukuoka. Of course, I really like competing in
the World Cups, but the main focus is on the upcoming World Championships. It's
good to be on the podium, but it's also good to continue focusing on what our
main goals are, and that is on Fukuoka.”
“It’s been six months since my last
competition, with a surgery in the middle,” Cunha said. “I was 3 months without
being in the water. Of course, I always come into a competition trying to win,
to do my best. But to be on the podium here gives me a lot of confidence to
continue pursuing and continue doing the things I need to do to accomplish what
I want in Fukuoka.”
World Aquatics has instituted two new
additions to the open water swimming racing scene - a World Cup sprint leader
and a junior leader.
The two new awards look to play a
significant role in animating the racing and winning one can not only serve as
a stepping stone for greater glories for the athlete but will soon also be
considered an important victory in itself.
Athletes earn sprint points for
passing through specific, pre-determined points within the individual 10km
events. After each World Cup, the current highest cumulative sprint
point-scoring athlete will carry this distinction into the following stop.
“Actually, the plan was not to go for
the sprint points at all and just see how it's going,” Van Rouwendaal said.
“But then I found myself in a very good position and I felt very good and I
found it fun to go for the sprint points.
“I’m always racing how I’m feeling in
the race. Sure, I have some race plans, but I’m always making decisions in the
race according to how I’m feeling and what I’m seeing in how the race is
developing.”The World Cup Junior Leader will be awarded to the overall
best-ranked young male and female athlete (aged 19 and under, as of 31 December
2022) in the 10km events. The current overall leader of the junior ranking will
carry the title to the following stop.
The junior leader after today is
19-year-old Diana Taszhanova of Kazakhstan, who was 13th overall at 2:10:42.50,
finishing well ahead of the next junior - Egypt’s Lamees Elsokkary (2:16:35.10)
in 16th place.
“I’m just so happy,” Taszhanova said.
“I’m filled with such joy from today’s performance and I can’t wait for more.”
Mixed Relay Racing Coming Up Next
From Somabay
Contributing: Torin Koos
Written by: Andy Ross, World Aquatics
Correspondent
Image Source: Istvan
Derencsenyi/World Aquatics
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