Lisa Pou and Guillem Pujol won the respective women’s and men’s races at the second leg of the European Aquatics Open Water Swimming Cup 2024 in Barcelona.
Pou led
for the majority of the race and although Paula Otero went ahead on the fourth
and final lap, the Monaco swimmer surged once more to claim an ultimately clear
victory in 2hrs 03mins 24.9secs.
That
followed the conclusion of the men’s race in which Pujol won a sprint finish to
delight the home fans at the Port of Barcelona after making his move on the
finishing straight to win in 1:56:33.3.
It
offered several swimmers, including Pou, a final opportunity to race before
heading to Paris for the Olympics.
Pou, who
was sixth at the European Aquatics Championships Belgrade 2024, took an
immediate lead with her front-end speed propelling her to the head of the field
with Otero on her toes followed by fellow Spaniard Candela Sanchez Lora.
She came
into the feeding platform flanked by the two Spaniards followed by Oceane
Cassignol and Maria Alejandra Bramont Arias Garcia of Peru.
Pou
turned onto her back going into the second lap with Bramont Arias Garcia
surging into the lead followed by Sanchez as world bronze medallist Angelica
Andre joined the fray.
Otero hit
the front coming up to the halfway point and came into the feeding station
leading a Spanish 1-2.
Pou
elected not to take on any fuel and returned to the head of the field as she
struck out.
Otero
refused to let her go with the Spaniard joined by Andre.
Pou again
opted not to refuel at the final feeding platform and opened up a clear lead
once more.
However,
Otero and Andre clawed back the deficit with the former taking over at the head
of the field and the Portuguese making her move on the inside.
Pou
surged again though to make a decisive break while Otero and Andre went stroke
for stroke behind her.
Pou came
home in 2:03:24.9 with Andre taking silver in 2:03:28.2 and Otero third in
2:03:30.9.
She said:
“I was feeling good. I wasn’t expecting that, to be that fast. I tried my best.
“I didn’t
feed the last two laps. It wasn’t predicted for me but I was feeling good so I
tried some things.”
While Pou
was ahead for much of the women’s race, the lead traded hands in the men’s
event.
French
pair Emile Mesmacque and Jean-Baptiste Clusman, Poland’s Piotr Wozniak and
Logan Vanhuys of Belgium all led during the first two laps.
Vanhuys
remained at the head of the field with Paul Niederberger of Switzerland and
Spain’s Mario Mendez Puga also among the challengers.
The
Belgian opened up a gap going into the final lap followed by Mesmacque and
Niederberger before Pujol and Wozniak made their moves as Vanhuys was
overhauled.
Pujol
attacked in the finishing straight, going stroke for stroke with Wozniak before
he went into the lead.
Despite
the close attention of Niederberger, Pujol touched the panel first, a second
ahead of the Swiss who finished in 1:56:34.3 with Mesmacque edging a
photo-finish with Wozniak by 0.1 in 1:56:34.9 to 1:56:35.0.
Link to
results here
