More titles for France, Russia in open water
budapest — Marc-Antoine Olivier anchored France’s mixed relay team to gold in the 5K open water swimming event on Thursday at the world championships.
Olivier, who had already won the men’s 5K individual race and took bronze in the 10K, finished 12.2 seconds ahead of Jordan Wilimovsky of the United States, the silver medallist in the men’s 10K. France won in 54 minutes, 5.9 seconds.
“I like this new formula, since there are more tactics, and it is more exciting,” American swimmer Haley Anderson said. “We were struggling a little bit at the relays but it was pretty much new for all.”
Mario Sanzullo anchored Italy to bronze, 25.1 seconds behind France. The race was on Lake Balaton, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of Budapest.
The format is new for the worlds. Each team must have two women
All our attempts weren’t in vain. We did everything we possibly could. We were training for 10-to-12 hours a day Svetlana Kolesnichenko
and two men, racing in whichever order they prefer.
Also, Svetlana Kolesnichenko claimed her fourth gold medal of the championships by winning the duet free routine in synchronized swimming with Alexandra Patskevich. It was Russia’s fifth gold in six synchronised swimming finals this week. “All our attempts weren’t in vain. We did everything we possibly could. We were training for 10-to-12 hours a day,” Kolesnichenko said.
The pair was awarded 97.0000 points for Russia’s sixth gold in Budapest and its sixth win in six attempts in the event at the worlds.
Chinese twins Jiang Tingting and Jiang Wenwen took silver, while Anna Voloshyna and Yelyzaveta Yakhno of Ukraine got bronze. The men’s 3-meter springboard diving final was later Thursday. —