PR5 - First race in Santos (BRA) with victories for Larissa Ilchenko (RUS) and Valerio Cleri (ITA)

The first race of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup 2007 was held on January 26, 2008 along the Boqueiro Beach of Santos (BRA).
The 5km and 10km 2007 World Champion, Larissa Ilchenko, imposed her finish in front of the American Kirsten Groome and the famous German duet, Angela Maurer (3rd) and Britta Kamrau Corestein (4th).  For her comeback, the Dutch Edith van Dijk placed only 11th. Twelve swimmers crossed the line in the same minute.
In the men’s race, the winner was Italian Valerio Cleri who completed his 2007 season excellently and confirmed his Olympic ambition. The Russian Evgeny Drattsev, third in the 10km World Championships’ event last year, was second ahead of a local swimmer, the Brazilan Allan do Carmo, a revelation. Ten swimmers finished in the same minute.

MEN
1. Valerio Cleri (ITA) 1h58m42s10; 2. Evgeny Drattsev (RUS) 1h58m44s11; 3. Allan do Carmo (BRA) 1h58m44s30

WOMEN
1. Larissa Ilchenko (RUS) 2h04m03s57; 2. Kirsten Groome (USA) 2h04m05s23; 3. Angela Maurer (GER) 2h04m13s26

Participants: A record of 84 swimmers (47 men and 37 women) from fifteen countries took the departure (in brackets the number of women): ARG 3 (1), BRA 26 (8), CAN 3 (2),  CHI 1 (1), ESP 3 (2), FRA 3 (1), GER 3 (2), ISR 3 (1), ITA 8 (4), MEX 6 (4), NED 1 (1), POL 1 (1), POR 3 (1),  RUS 11 (4), USA 9 (4).

The next race of the 2nd FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup will take place on March 15, 2008 in Dubai (UAE).

Before that, the next stage of the other FINA international series of Long Distance Swimming, the 2nd FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix will be held on February 3, 2008 in Santa Fe (ARG) with the 57km “Maraton Acuatica Rio Coronda”.