24 women representing 17 countries lined up on the starting pontoon that spanned the Seine at the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim this morning.

Cheering crowds had lined up the course on both sides of the Seine from 5:30 am – and their collective enthusiasm never waned throughout the race.

Once the gun went off, so did the women. They all shot out from the starting pontoon, aided by adrenalin, a very fast current, and the need to establish their position in the lead pack.

It was a truly all-star cast of accomplished swimmers:

• Ana Marcela Cunha, the defending Olympic 10K Marathon Swim gold medalist
• Sharon van Rouwendaal, the 2016 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim gold medalist and 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist
• Leonie Beck, the 2023 World Aquatics 10 km world champion
• Katie Grimes, a 2024 Olympic 400 IM silver medalist and 2023 World Aquatics 10 km world championship bronze medalist
• and 8 others who had a reasonable shot at standing on the Olympic podium

But the Dutch phenom did everything right to win. She made a strategic breakaway on the fifth loop and had pulled eventual silver medalist Moesha Johnson of Australia and bronze medalist Ginevra Taddeucci of Italy with her. The breakaway was reminiscent of her same strategy when she won her first gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Once the break was established, the race among the top swimmers was essentially over.

By the first half of the sixth and final lap of the 1.67 km rectangular course, it was clear that someone in the lead pack was going to win the gold. Van Rouwendaal always swam purposefully – from start to finish – and never relinquished the lead on the final lap. She appeared confident in every line that she took along the technically challenging course. But she also especially tacked well as the far end turn buoys. Swimming perpendicular across a strong current was a location where much time and placing could have been lost – but Van Rouwendaal did that very well.

With the Eiffel Tower in the back, the course was stunning and the fans enthusiastic, lining both sides of the banks of the Seine.

Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Results

1. Sharon van Rouwendaal, Netherlands 2:03:34.2
2. Moesha Johnson, Australia 2:03:39.7
3. Ginevra Taddeucci, Italy 2:03:42.8
4. Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil 2:04:15.7
5. Bettina Fabian, Hungary 2:04:16.9
6. Giulia Gabbrielleschi, Italy 2:04:17.9
7. Oceane Cassignol, France 2:06:06.9
8. Caroline Jouisse, France 2:06:11.0
9. Leonie Beck, Germany 2:06:13.4
10. Angela Martinez Guillen, Spain 2:06:15.3
11. Viviane Jungblut, Brazil 2:06:15.8
12. Angelica Andre, Portugal 2:06:17.0
13. Airi Ebina, Japan 2:06:17.7
14. Chelsea Gubecka, Australia 2:06:17.8
15. Katie Grimes, USA
16. Mariah Denigan, USA 2:06:42.9
17. Maria de Valdes Alvarez, Spain 2:07:02.4
18. Lisa Pou, Monaco 2:07:05.4
19. Martha Sandoval Ayala, Mexico 2:07:24.9
20. Leah Phoebe Crisp, Great Britain 2:07:46.7
21. Maria Alejandra Bramont-Arias, Peru 2:12:44.7
22. Leonie Maertens, Germany 2:15:57.3
23. Emma Finlin, Canada 2:22:06.5
24. Xin Xin, China 2:27:02.9

Emma Finlin, one of the youngest competitors in the race, said, “It was the first Olympic marathon swim to feature winning times above two hours, as all swimmers battled tremendous currents in the Seine. At some points they appeared to be almost at a standstill. I was really grateful to just be in there with all these incredible girls. That wasn’t the race I wanted to put in for my first Olympics, but I’m pretty proud of myself for finishing.
 
I underestimated the current for sure, so that was a bit difficult but I couldn’t control that. On the way back you were fighting a pretty heavy current and the sun was there too so it was hard to see.”

Men’s race is tomorrow with the same starting time of 7:30 am.

But for the time being, Van Rouwendaal made the Dutch happy and proud:

https://youtu.be/KrgEslJMLEE

Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Commentary and Articles

• What Los Angeles 2028 Can Learn from the 2024 Paris Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
• Impressions of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim on the Seine
• Brilliant Swimming. Kristóf Rasovszky Wins Gold in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
• Brilliant Swimming. A Legend, Sharon van Rouwendaal Wins the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
• Brian Goodell at the OLY House
• The Sights and Sounds of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim on the Seine
• Technologies Showcased at the OLY House during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Finke Achieves The Improbable. His Rivals Head Towards The Seine
• It’s Gonna Be An Incredible Race with Warnings, Whistles, Yellow Cards, and Red Cards in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in the Seine
• How Fast Is The Water Moving in the Seine along the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Course?
• Sixth Time Is A Charm for Kristel Köbrich
• Postscript from Paris
• Ice Swimmer Cometh: Keaton Jones Has Shot To Earn Olympic Gold
• Olympic 10K Marathon Swim – Course Update on August 1st
• 10 Days in Paris: Katie Grimes, Moesha Johnson and Leonie Maertens – Reversal of Fortune on Day 2
• 2024 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Prediction: Swimming in the Seine Will Be Spectacular
• How Fast Are The Olympic Marathon Swimmers? The Women in the Seine
• How Fast Are The Olympic Marathon Swimmers? The Men in the Seine
• Speed and Strategy on the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Course in the Fast-flowing Seine
• What Is The Ambiance of the Paris Olympics?
• Catherine Kase On Preparing For and Coaching at the Olympics
• Growth of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Paris: Pool Specialists versus Open Water Specialists
• Breaking News: Details of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Paris
• Breaking News: Female Swimmers of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Paris
• Breaking News: Male Swimmers of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Paris
• Ignasi Vendrell Gervás Is Running The Show at the 2024 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
• Plan B For The Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
• Whoa…The Speed of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Will Be Off The Charts…Daniel Wiffen to Compete
• 10 Days in Paris: The Swimming Life of Olympian Katie Grimes
• What Would You Do: Protest or Compete in the Seine at the Paris Olympics?
• Olympic Marathon Swimmers Getting Faster and Faster – like Oliver Klemet
• Goose Poo to Human Poo – Media Focus on Faecal Matter and Marathon Swimming Every Four Years
• Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli – Then and Now
• Olympic Open Water Competition – With a Surfboard
• Woomin Kim and Guilherme Costa Throw Down Some Fast Freestyling in Paris. Will Their Speed, Stamina Be a Factor in the Seine?
• Triathlon Postponed Raises Question of Location of Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
• Daniel Wiffen Captures Gold With A Tactically Tough 800m in the Pool

© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“

A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.