Ashley Twichell Realizes Her Olympic Dream
Courtesy of WOWSA, Gwangju, South Korea.
Sixth place never seemed so good – or such a relief – for American Ashley Twichell.
She has won world championship races. She has won multiple national titles in the pool and open water. She has won many medals on top podiums during her career.
But one ultimate goal has eluded her: a shot at Olympic gold.
With her sixth place finish in the 10 km marathon swim at today’s FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, the 30-year-old qualified to become an Olympic rookie to her extreme delight.
“I’ve been swimming for a really long time and I swim obviously because it’s fun and I love it.
It wasn’t until I made my first international team that the Olympics became a goal of mine. Before that, it was not at the forefront of my mind. I pretty narrowly missed out in 2012 and have had shoulder surgery and injuries so I’ve kind of been through a lot.”
Anderson and Twichell became the first two Americans to qualify for the USA team in Tokyo. And other than Germany, the two Americans represent the only country to qualify two athletes for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim.
And now Twichell has an entire year to prepare with the goal of standing on the ultimate podium in the Odaiba Marine Park at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games next July.
Women’s Olympic 10 km Qualification Race Results:
- Xin Xin (China) 1:54:47.20
- Haley Anderson (USA) 1:54:48.10
- Rachele Bruni (Italy) 1:54:49.90
- Lara Grangeon (France) 1:54:50.00
- Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 1:54:50.50
- Ashley Twichell (USA) 1:54:50.50
- Kareena Lee (Australia) 1:54:50.50
- Finnia Wunram (Germany) 1:54:50.70
- Leonie Beck (Germany) 1:54:51.00
- Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands) 1:54:51.10
- Aurélie Muller (France) 1:54:51.20
- Viviane Jungblut (Brazil) 1:54:51.90
- Arianna Bridi (Italy) 1:54:52.00
- Fuwei Dong (China) 1:54:56.70
- Esmee Vermeulen (Netherlands) 1:54:58.40
- Anna Olasz (Hungary) 1:54:58.70
- Alice Dearing (Great Britain) 1:55:05.90
- Samantha Arévalo (Ecuador) 1:55:22.80
- Angelica Andre (Portugal) 1:55:23.40
- Anastasiia Krapivina (Russia) 1:55:24.90
- Mariia Novikova (Russia) 1:55:26.00
- Yumi Kida (Japan) 1:55:26.70
- Reka Rohacs (Hungary) 1:55:26.70
- Paula Ruiz (Spain) 1:55:31.20
- Danielle Huskisson (Great Britain) 1:55:31.50
- Maria Alejandra Bramont-Arias (Peru) 1:55:33.80
- Špela Perše (Slovenia) 1:55:44.40
- Eva Fabian (Israel) 1:55:44.80
- Chelsea Gubecka (Australia) 1:55:45.20
- Minami Niikura (Japan) 1:55:46.80
- Michelle Weber (South Africa) 1:56:25.80
- Julia Lucila Arino (Argentina) 1:56:32.20
- Maria Vilas (Spain) 1:57:34.40
- Alena Benesova (Czech Republic) 1:57:48.60
- Kate Farley Sanderson (Canada) 2:00:23.90
- Krystyna Panchishko (Ukraine) 2:00:28.60
- Kalliopi Araouzou (Greece) 2:00:30.30
- Eden Girloanta (Israel) 2:00:34.60
- Tsz Yin Nip (Hong Kong) 2:01:14.60
- Lenka Šterbova (Czech Republic) 2:01:15.50
- Martha Sandoval (Mexico) 2:01:17.50
- Paola Perez (Venezuela) 2:01:29.70
- Martha Ruth Aguilar Ortega (Mexico) 2:01:42.10
- Nataly Caldas Calle (Ecuador) 2:02:03.50
- Chantel Lily Jeffrey (Canada) 2:02:19.90
- Robyn Kinghorn (South Africa) 2:03:05.10
- Justyna Dorota Bruska (Poland) 2:03:28.40
- Sandy Atef (Egypt) 2:07:37.80
- Liliana Hernandez (Venezuela) 2:07:38.40
- Karolina Balazikova (Slovakia) 2:07:38.70
- Mariya Fedotova (Kazakhstan) 2:07:42.50
- Cho Ying Wong (Hong Kong) 2:07:43.40
- Dayoun Lim (Korea) 2:07:50.90
- Pimpun Choopong (Thailand) 2:08:16.60
- Haeun Jung (Korea) 2:09:36.80
- Yanci Vanegas (Guatemala)2:11:59.10
- Famita Flores (Estonia) 2:12:00.60
- Katawan Teeka (Thailand) 2:17:27.00
- Hita Nayak (India) 2:17:32.30
- Sofie Frichot (Seychelles) 2:18:07.70
- Nikitha Setru Venugopal (India) 2:20:09.50
- Camila Mercado (Bolivia) 2:23:09.70
- Genesis Rojas (Costa Rica) 2:23:29.40
- Merle Liivand (Estonia) 2:23:30.80
Watch the men’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games qualifier race live here on Tuesday on FINAtv.
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