PR47 - Golden day for Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) and Valerio Cleri (ITA)

The third leg of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup series of 2008, which took place on Saturday, June 28 in Setubal, Portugal, resulted in gold medals for Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) in the women’s race and Valerio Cleri (ITA) in the men’s competition. Cunha completed the Setubal Bay course in 2:06:04, while Cleri finished in 1:52:46.80. The complete medallists are as follows:

MEN
1. Valerio Cleri (ITA) 1:52:46.80
2. Thomas Lurz (GER) 1:54:10.95
3. Yuri Kudinov (RUS) 1:55:12.55

WOMEN
1. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) 2:06:04
2. Angela Maurer (GER) 2:06:08
3. Andreina Pinto (VEN) 2:06:09

Evidently, the final stretch for victory in the women’s race was very close, while the top-three for the men finished about a minute apart. All three of these women’s medallists will be competing in the inaugural Olympic 10km marathon swim in Beijing in late-August, while Cleri and Lurz will be among the first male open water Olympians.

This win represents Cleri’s second gold medal in the 2008 World Cup series, after he prevailed in the first leg, which took place in Santos (BRA) on January 26. It is also an improvement from his bronze-medal finish in Dubai (UAE) on March 15 when the second stop of the Series took place. Lurz meanwhile, as the gold medal winner in Dubai, now has two medals in this Series. Finally, with her silver-medal finish in Portugal, Maurer secured her second World Cup medal, as she also won bronze in the women’s field in Santos (BRA).

The next stop of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup 2008 series will take place on July 24, 2008 at Lac St. Jean, Canada. Subsequent races will be held on September 14 in Singapore (SIN), September 21 in Shantou (CHN), September 28 in Hong Kong (HKG), and October 11 in Cancun (MEX).

THE 2008 FINA 10 KM MARATHON SWIMMING WORLD CUP 2008
In few lines

Dates & Sites

Race 1 – January 26 - Santos, BRA
Race 2 – March 15 - Dubai, UAE
Race 3 – June 28 - Setubal, POR
Race 4 – July 24 - Lac St. Jean, CAN
Race 5 – September 14 - Singapore, SIN
Race 6 – September 21 - Shantou, CHN
Race 7 – September 28 - Hong Kong, HKG
Race 8 – October 11 - Cancun, MEX

(1) 1. Valerio Cleri (ITA); 2. Evgeny Drattsev (RUS); 3. Allan Do Carmo (BRA)
(2) 1. Thomas Lurz (GER); 2. Daniil Serebrennikov (RUS); 3. Valerio Cleri (ITA)
(3) 1. Valerio Cleri (ITA); 2. Thomas Lurz (GER); 3. Yuri Kudinov (RUS)

(1) 1. Larissa Ilchenko (RUS); 2. Kirsten Groome (USA); 3. Angela Maurer (GER)
(2) 1. Poliana Okimoto (BRA); 2. Aurélie Muler (FRA); 3. Martina Grimaldi (ITA)
(3) 1. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA); 2. Angela Maurer (GER); 3. Andreina Pinto (VEN)