The Peninsula
Qatar, yesterday kicked off the FINA Marathon Swim World Series for the second consecutive year, with Ana Marcela Cunha and Florian Wellbrock clinching victories following thrilling races on the Doha’s iconic Corniche.
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@The swimmers braved tough conditions on a windy day at the FINA Marathon Swim World Series Doha (QAT) 2019, which opened the nine-leg marathon series.
The athletes competed over the 10km course, which was divided into four laps of 2.5km, with the spectacular Corniche skyline forming the stunning backdrop.
Close races were witnessed in both the women and men races as the event served as qualification for this July’s World Championships for many swimmers.
In the women’s race yesterday, Brazil’s Cunha, who is defending her overall FINA marathon title, claimed victory after edging Australia’s Kareena Lee by just 0.5 seconds.
The 26-year-old led the race for the most part, winning it eventually after clocking 2:03:51.5.
“It was my plan to lead the race from the beginning because last year I used to stay behind. I tried to be a bit faster in the final lap, which was part of my plan. It was a tough race and I am happy to win as there were many swimmers, who were very close till the last moment,” Cunha, also a winner of 2010, 2012 and 2014 series, said after her victory.
Lee was surprised with her second finish, that guaranteed her the national spot for World Championships.
“I am very very happy. I will get valuable points that will help me get selected for my country in the World Championships,” said Lee.
“It was a strong field and I was hoping for a top-ten finish so finishing second is a bonus. The arrangements of the event were amazing and the course was fantastic. I would like to come back to Doha,” the Aussie added.
Rio Olympic silver medalist Rachele Bruni (ITA) claimed the bronze medal after finishing the job in 2:03:53.0.
“I am happy to secure the third place because this will give me confidence in the World Championships in South Korea,” she said.
Reigning Olympic champion Sharon Van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands, the winner of last year’s race in Doha, had a disappointing race as she finished in 12th place.
Meanwhile, the men’s race was also a closely-contested battle, with Germany’s Wellbrock overcoming his opponents in a tight finish.
Wellbrock, winner of last year’s Abu Dhabi meet, won the gold medal with a time of 1:52:21.6.
“The race was really tough. It’s my third World Cup and also my third gold so I am really happy. The conditions were hard. I didn’t have many races like this before so I had to change my tactics in the middle,” said Wellbrock.
Hungary’s Kristof Rasovszky was second with a time of 1:52:22.8, while Jordan Wilimovsky (USA) claimed the bronze medal after clocking 1:52:24.4.
Qatar’s Abdelrahman Mohamed and Ahmad Samara also competed in the men’s race.
Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Secretary-General Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Qatar Swimming Association (QSA) President Khaleel Al Jabir, and QSA General-Secretary Talal Mubarak distributed medals among the swimmers.
The swimmers will now head for Seychelles for the second meet on May 12, followed by stops in Setubal (Portugal), Balatonfured (Hungary), Lac St. Jean and Lac Megantic (Canada), Chinese Taipei, Ohrid (Macedonia) and Chun’An (China).