Some heavyweights of the international open water scene were on-hand for two Asian stages of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup 2008, which took place in Hong Kong (HKG) on Sunday, September 28 and Shantou (CHN) on Sunday, September 21, 2008.

Most recently, the races in Hong Kong featured high-level competition and extraordinarily close finishes among both men and women. Among men, Valerio Cleri (ITA) defeated Daniil Serebrennikov (RUS) and Allan do Carmo (BRA) by one second. Egypt’s rising talent Mazen Aziz was 4th by a fingernail when he touched the wall just one second ahead of the 5th-placed Russian swimming great, Yury Kudinov.

Among women in Hong Kong, the winner was the first female Olympic champion in marathon swimming, Larisa Ilchenko (RUS). She faced pressure however, from Chile’s Kristel Kobrich, who took silver three seconds behind. Bronze went to Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA), but only after a razor-thin defeat of 4th-place Alice Franco (ITA). In 5th and 6th respectively were German open water stars Angela Maurer and Britta Kamrau-Corestein.

MEDALLISTS

Men
1. Valerio Cleri (ITA) 1:46:17              
2. Daniil Serebrennikov (RUS) 1:46:18          
3. Allan Carmo (BRA) 1:46:22

Women
1. Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) 1:52:15
2. Kristel Kobrich (CHI) 1:52:18
3. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) 1:52:24

The top-five male finishers in Shantou (CHN) stage were the same as those in Hong Kong, except in a different order. Occupying the top of the podium again was Cleri, but his biggest opposition in the Shantou race was Aziz, who took silver. The bronze went again to Do Carmo, while Russia’s Kudinov and Serebrennikov took 4th and 5th respectively.

Among women during the race in Shantou, it was Kobrich who registered a clean win over Ilchenko, with times of 2:10:49.77 to 2:10:53.40 respectively. The bronze that day was reserved for Maurer, with Franco and Kamrau-Corestein taking 4th and 5th. This time Cunha had to settle for 6th.

MEDALLISTS

Men
1. Valerio Cleri (ITA) 2:06:58               
2. Mazen Mohamed Aziz 2:07:03           
3. Allan Carmo (BRA) 2:07:05

Women
1. Kristel Kobrich (CHI) 2:10:49
2. Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) 2:10:53
3. Angela Maurer (GER) 2:10:55

These races were the 5th and 6th out of eight stages that comprise the 2008 World Cup circuit. The next race will be held on October 4, 2008 in Singapore (SIN).