American Fran Crippen gutted out a furious finish and just out-sprinted South African Chad Ho and Bulgarian Petar Stoychev in the La Patagones Viedma in Argentina, the second FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup on the 2010 pro circuit.

After finishing a disappointing 12th at last week’s FINA World Cup race in Santos, Brazil, Fran traveled to Viedma on a mission – a mission he carried out with flying colors in the warm 22°C (72°F) waters of the Río Negro River – but he was pressed to the end by equally competitive pros.

Chad, for the second week in a row, finished another close second, but seems destined to crack the top podium soon. Meanwhile Petar had one of his best finishes in a 10K race over the past few years, hot off of his 57K victory in Santa Fe just a week ago.

Veteran and recent International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame honoree Angela Maurer won the women’s race over Croatia’s Karla Šitić, a 17-year-old half the age of Angela. Another youngster Eva Fabian (16) was third with last week’s FINA World Cup victor Ana Marcela Cunha in fourth.

Women’s Results:

1. Angela Maurer (GER)
2. Karla Šitić (CRO)
3. Eva Fabian (USA)
4. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)
5. Linsy Heister (NED)
6. Annika Traxel (GER)
7. Anna Guseva (RUS)
8. Anastasia Zhidkova (AZE)
9. Cecilia Biagioli (ARG)
10. Maaike Waaier (NED)
11. Elizaveta Gorshkova (RUS)
12. Alejandra González (MEX)
13. Inha Kotsur (AZE)
14. Heidi George (USA)
15. Odette Saldívar (MEX)
16. Antonella Borgarín (ARG)
17. Gina Mohr (GER)
18. Nika Kozamernik (SLO)
19. Nadine Reichert (GER)
20. Lara Rodríguez (ARG)

Men’s Results:

1. Francis Crippen USA
2. Chad Ho (RSA)
3. Petar Stoychev (BUL)
4. Michael Dmitriev (ISR)
5. Allan Do Carmo (BRA)
6. Tom Vangeneugden (BEL)
7. Sergiy Fesenko (AZE)
8. Christian Reichert (GER)
9. Robin den Boer (NED)
10. Victor Simões (BRA)
11. Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE)
12. Libor Smolka (CZE)
13. Erwin Maldonado (VEN)
14. Resman Shahar (ISR)
15. Barton Wells (USA)
16. Juan Cruz Guidi (ARG)

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones