Men's 10km

Florian Wellbrock (GER)

Florian Wellbrock won gold in the men's 10km event at the world aquatics championships in 2019 and at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He can become the first man to win this event at three successive FINA World Championships and Olympic Games combined.

Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS, 2003 and 2007) and Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE, 2011 and 2013) are the two athletes to have won the men's 10km at multiple world aquatics championships.


Kristóf Rasovszky (HUN)

Kristóf Rasovszky can become the first swimmer to win a medal for Hungary in the men's 10km event at the FINA World Championships.

Rasovszky can become the second man to win a medal in the men's 10km event in home water at the FINA World Championships, after David Meca (ESP) claimed bronze in Barcelona in 2003.


Sacha Velly (FRA)

Sacha Velly will be 17 years and 140 days old when the men's 10km is held on 29 June. He could become the youngest medal winner in this event at the world aquatics championships. Chip Peterson (USA) was 17-229 when he won gold in this event in 2005.

France has yet to win gold in the men's 10km event at the FINA World Championships.


Other contenders

Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA) claimed bronze in the men's 10km in 2017 and silver in this event in 2019. He can become the first man to complete the medal set in the men's 10km event.

Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) hopes to hand Italy its first gold medal in the men's 10km at the world aquatics championships. Italy won its only medal in this event in 2001, when Fabio Venturini took bronze.

Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR), after winning Ukraine's first open water medal in the 5km can add to his history-making at these FINA World Championships.

 

Women's 10km

Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)

Ana Marcela Cunha won gold in the women's 10km event at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She can become the second woman to win gold in the women's 10km at the world aquatics championships and Olympic Games, after Larisa Ilchenko (RUS, 2007 world title and 2008 Olympic title).

Cunha (G0-S1-B2) won a joint-record three medals in the women's 10km event at world aquatics championships, but she never won gold in this event. Edith van Dijk (NED, G1-S0-B2) also claimed three medals in the women's 10km.

Cunha can join Viola Valli (ITA) and Thomas Lurz (GER) as only swimmers to have won gold in all three individual events in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships (5km, 10km, 25km).


Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED)

Sharon van Rouwendaal won gold in the women's 10km at the Olympic Games (2016) and the European championships (2014, 2018, 2021).

She could join Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) as only women to have won this event at the Olympic Games, European championships and the world aquatics championships.


Aurélie Muller (FRA)

Aurélie Muller (2015, 2017) can become the first woman to win the women's 10km event three times at the world aquatics championships, surpassing Keri-Anne Payne (GBR) on two.

Muller can join Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA, four in women's 25km) as only women to win a specific event at least three times.


Other contenders

Leonie Beck (GER) can become the second woman to win gold for Germany in the women's 10km event at the world aquatics championships, after Peggy Büchse (GER) in 2001.

Mira Szimcsák (HUN) could win the first gold medal for Hungary in this event at the world aquatics championships.

Xin Xin (CHN) won China's first and so far only medal in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships, when she won the women's 10km in 2019.

Katie Grimes (USA, 16 years) can become the youngest medal winner in the women's 10km event at the world aquatics championships. The only teenager to reach the podium in this event at the FINA World Championships was Larisa Ilchenko (RUS), who won gold in 2007 at age 18.

Italy (G1-S2-B3) has collected a record six medals in the women's 10km at the world aquatics championships, including gold by Viola Valli in 2003. Rachele Bruni (ITA) and Giulia Gabbrielleschi (ITA) could add to this tally.