Lupa Beach is again the place to catch the world's best open water swimmers competing for the global title, this time for the Men's and Women's 10km Individual. Olympians and FINA World Champions are among the familiar names that stand out when reviewing the start list for the third of four open water events for Budapest 2022. Here’s a brief snapshot of 5 women and 5 men who will be on the course for the Women's 10km scheduled for 8:00 CET on June 29th. The Men's 10km follows at 12:00 CET.
5 MEN to WATCH
Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA) earned a bronze medal in the Olympic Marathon 10km at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He claimed bronze in the men's 10km at Budapest 2017 and silver in Yeosu Bay in this event in Gwangju 2019. He can become the first man to complete the medal set in the men's 10km event.
Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) is the bronze medalist in the Olympic Marathon 10km from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He finished second in the 5km event at Budapest 2022 and 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. He anchored Italy's Mixed Team Relay 4x1500m which earned bronze in Budapest 2022.
Kristof Rasovszky (HUN) won the 5km at the FINA World Championships in 2019 at Yeosu, Korea. He can become the first swimmer to win a medal for Hungary in the men's 10km event at the world aquatics championships and can become the second man to win a medal in the men's 10km event in home water at the world aquatics championships, after David Meca (ESP) claimed bronze in Barcelona in 2003. He anchored Hungary's Mixed Team Relay 4x1500m that earned silver in Budapest 2022.
Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) earned a bronze medal in the 5km at the FINA World Championships Budapest 2022 winning the first medal for Ukraine in open water swimming at the world aquatics championships. In March 2022 the elite pool swimmer left Ukraine to train with Florian Wellbrock and his coach in Germany.
Florian Wellbrock (GER) won gold in the men's Olympic Marathon 10km event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and won the FINA World Championships in 2019 at Yeosu, Korea. He can become the first man to win this event across three successive events, the world aquatics championships and Olympic Games combined.
5 WOMEN TO WATCH
Leonie Beck (GER) claimed a bronze medal in the 5km at the open water events held in Yeosu Bay, Korea at the 2019 FINA World Championships. She was a member of Germany’s Mixed Relay 4x1500m that won a gold medal on the first day of open water competition in Budapest 2022. She 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.
Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) won the Olympic Marathon 10km at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A world championship 10km gold medal has eluded her but she owns one silver and two bronze medals in this event. A victory in the 10km can break the tie with Edith van Dijk (NED) who also owns three (G1-S0-B2) medals in the women's 10km. She won the 5km at the 2022 Budapest World Championships and owns 7 gold medals and a total of 13 medals in open water world championship events. She finished in 5th place in the Olympic Marathon 10km at the Beijing 2008 Summer Games. 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).
Giulia Gabbrielleschi (ITA) earned a bronze medal at the Budapest 2022 in the 5km, her first individual medal at the World Championships. She was a member of the Mixed Relay 4x1500 that also earned a bronze medal in Budapest 2022. Italy has collected a record six medals (G1-S2-B3) in the women's 10km at the world aquatics championships, including a gold by Viola Valli in 2003. Rachele Bruni (ITA) and Gabbrielleschi (ITA) could add to this tally.
Aurélie Muller (FRA) can become the first woman to win the 10km event three times at the world aquatics championships surpassing Keri-Anne Payne (GBR) who is tied with two 10km titles each. Muller won the 10km at the 2015 Kazan and 2017 Budapest World Championships. Muller’s second-place finish in the 10km in Budapest 2022 marked the fourth time she has won a silver medal in the 5km event. She finished 21st in the inaugural Olympic Marathon 10km at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, she arrived second at the finish pontoon but was disqualified for impeding the progress of another swimmer who was declared the Olympic silver medalist.
Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) won the Olympic Gold medal in the Marathon 10km at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and is the silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the Marathon 10km. She won 7 European open water titles and two silver medals in open water events. 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.