Edoardo Stochino, from Italy, and Angela Maurer, from Germany, were the winners of the fifth leg of the FINA UltraMarathon Swim Series, held in Novi (CRO) on August 31, 2019. The Italian winner needed 4h18m03s to complete the 20km-race, while the experienced German ace completed the event in 4h28m10s.

In the men’s category, the race was quite open until the last metres, with the medals being decided within a six-second gap. Behind Stochino, Evgenij Pop Acev, from North Macedonia, earned silver in 4h18m06s and a second Italian representative, Francesco Ghettini got bronze in 4h18m09s.


The men's podium

All three medallists in Novi had been on the podium during the season: Stochino was third in Santa Fe (ARG), Pop Acev also won silver at home, in Ohrid, while Ghettini was the winner in Santa Fe and third in North Macedonia.

Among women, Maurer – 44 years old – managed to create a comfortable gap with her main challengers, namely Alice Franco (ITA), second in 4h28m27s and Romina Imwinkelriedt (ARG), bronze medallist in 4h35m50s.

While this was the first medal for Maurer in 2019, Franco won in Ohrid and was third in Lac St-Jean (CAN), and Imwinkelriedt earned her second bronze of the season, after a previous third place in Santa Fe.

The 2019 FINA UltraMarathon Swim Series will conclude with the sixth and final stop on September 7, with a 36km-race between Capri and Napoli, in Italy.