Her dominance at the local, national, and international level of open water swimming has been incredible.
Her overwhelming presence at every start has been undeniable.
Her tenacity from start to finish at every race has always been intense.
Her genuine smile and her passionate spirit have been omnipresent.
Her FINA/World Aquatics victories has totaled 81 (40 gold + 20 silver + 21 bronze) – two long decades from the ages of 14 to 32.
Ana Marcela Cunha (@anamarcela92) of Brazil has indelibly left her mark on the sport of professional marathon swimming since she first burst on the scene in 2006 as a 14-year-old when she finished 11th in the 2006 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Italy. She won her first FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup in Portugal as a 16-year-old – and 16 years later, the Brazilian won her 7th career World Cup title, a dominance that is unprecedented at the 10 km distance where speed, stamina, and strategy play different parts of any podium finish.
Ana won her 7th World Cup title in Saudi Arabia on November 22nd where the final leg was held concurrent to the multi-sport NEOM Beach Games. She finished outside the podium in the final race, but had some surprising news that was inevitable.
Possible Retirement?
She admitted to Nick Hope of World Aquatics, “It’s been a really hard year because we swim the Olympic Games and I finished fourth which is not the best result, as you’re one step from the podium and at the last Olympic Games I’m the champion.
I think maybe this World Cup is the last time when I do all of the races and maybe in six or seven months, I stop swimming. I am really tired after 18 years of racing.
My first World Championships was 2006, when I was 14 years old. Now I’m 32 so it’s a long time to swim the open water and then I won everything, so for me I’m really happy.
It’s really hard to continue because I’m really tired, but you never know, maybe next year I’ll feel I can swim one more year, but we will see.”
Steven Munatones says of her possible retirement, “The sport needs someone like Ana Marcela. She brings intensity and seriousness to the sport as well as smiles, laughter, and a genuine joy that is so obvious to her competitors, officials, fans, and media. From her global emergence at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a 16-year-old to her efforts this long World Cup season, she really adds gravitas and inspiration to the sport of open water swimming.”
2024 World Cup Rankings
- Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil 2750 points
- Lea Boy, Germany 2648
- Ginevra Taddeucci, Italy 2200
- Bettina Fabian, Hungary 2150
- Viviane Jungblut, Brazil 2080
- Moesha Johnson, Australia 1950
- Caroline Laure Jouisse, France 1950
- Jeannette Spiwoks, Germany 1550
- Leonie Beck, Germany 1500
- Lisa Pou, Monaco 1290
- Ines Delacroix, France 1130
- Angela Martinez Guillen, Spain 790
- Cibelle Jungblut, Brazil 702
- Veronica Santoni, Italy 660
- Mafalda Rosa, Portugal 650
- Sharon van Rouwendaal, Netherlands 550
- Airi Ebina, Japan 530
- Katie Grimes, USA 550
- Candela Sanchez Lora, Spain 470
- Jacqueline Davison-McGovern, Australia 450
- Celine Rieder, Germany 450
- Angelica Andre, Portugal 450
- Martha Sandoval, Mexico 358
- Ichika Kajimoto, Japan 350
- Lizian Sobral, Brazil 342
- Bianca Crisp, Australia 310
- Barbara Pozzobon, Italy 310
- Anna Olasz, Hungary 300
- Mariana Mendes, Portugal 278
- Silvia Ciccarella, Italy 270
- Paula Otero Fernandez, Spain 264
- Mariah Denigan, USA 250
- Julie Pleskotova, Czech Republic 210
- Chelsea Gubecka, Australia 190
- Leah Phoebe Crisp, Great Britain 190
- Tayla Martin, Australia 180
- Fabienne Wenske, Germany 170
- Yu-Wen Teng, Chinese Taipei 160
- Claire Weinstein, USA 160
- Brooke Travis, USA 150
- Lilin Liu, China 140
- Xin Xin, China 140
- Giulia Gabbrielleschi, Italy 140
- Lamees Elsokkary, Egypt 130
- Arwa Faisal Malek, Egypt 120
- Tsz Yin Nip, Hong Kong 120
- Shutong Wu, China 110
- Maria de Valdes, Spain 110
- Mira Szimcsak, Hungary 110
- Mariya Fedotova, Kazakhstan 110
- Pac Tung Nikita Lam, Hong Kong 108
- Darya Pushko, Kazakhstan 108
- Shahd Sameh, Egypt 106
- Maria Bramont-Arias, Peru 106
- Li-Shan Chantal Liew, Singapore 106
- Zeina Ahmed Medhat, Egypt 104
- Isabella Scopel Tramontana, Brazil 102
- Nabila Hassan, Egypt 102
- Sofie Callo van Platen, Italy 102
- Camille Henveaux, Belgium 100
- Ayazhan Ainabekova, Kazakhstan 100
- Kenzy Hazem Moneeb, Egypt 98
- Cheuk Ue Natalie Lam, Hong Kong 98
- Hoda Gamal Salama, Egypt 96
- Wing Yan To, Hong Kong 96
- Iris Menchini, Italy 96
- Malak Meqdar, Morocco 96
- Lok Mei Chan, Hong Kong 94
- Emma Micheletti, Italy 94
- Aruna Slamgazy, Kazakhstan 94
- So Yu Ho, Hong Kong 92
- Renata Vigano, Italy 92
- Saida Yelemes, Kazakhstan 92
- Elena Tortora, Italy 90
- Yi-Ling Wang, Chinese Taipei 90
- Letizia Gioffredi, Italy 88
- Yu-Xuan Lin, Chinese Taipei 88
- Yihan Mao, China 86
- Yung-Ling Tsai, Chinese Taipei 86
- Federica Sircha, Italy 84
- Zhi-Hui Lu, Chinese Taipei 84
- Sara Petrolli, Italy 82
- Sara Pedrocco, Italy 80
- Sara Pedemonte, Italy 78
- Silvia De Santis, Italy 76
- Maria Vittoria Suisola, Italy 74
- Gaia Piccione, Italy 72
- Silvia Marcon, Italy 70
- Evalotta Victoria Aabrams, Estonia 68
- Theodora Sveta Sabev, Bulgaria 66
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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