Photo courtesy of Hans-Peter Sick and results courtesy of FINA, Hoorn, Netherlands.
In the wake of the 2016 European Open Water Championships, the next generation of open water swimming stars showed off their talents in the same venue in Hoorn, Netherlands at the 2016 FINA World Junior Open Water Championships.
The opening day saw the 14-15 year old boys and girls race in the 5 km course and the 16-17 year old boys and girls compete on the 7.5 km course.
Spanish 17-year-old Paula Ruiz, an Andalucian from Malaga, crushed the field in the girls 16-17 division in the 7.5 km race in 1:29:55.7. More than 2½ minutes later, Oceane Cassignol of France finished second in 1:32:31.0 and Fuwei Dong of China finished third in 1:32:34.8.
“I knew I was very strong. It was my tactic, not to swim in the pack,” said Ruiz who shot out in the lead from the start. “I looked a few times behind me, but there was nobody.” From beginning to her final stroke, no one else was really in the picture to outswim Ruiz.
16-17 Girls 7.5 km Results:
1. Paula Ruiz (ESP) 1:29:55.7
2. Oceane Cassignol (FRA) 1:32:31.0
3. Fuwei Dong (CHN) 1:32:34.8
4. Sophie Cavagnola (ITA) 1:32:41.5
5. Lea Boy (GER) 1:32:56.1
6. Eva Bonnet (BEL) 1:32:56.7
7. Dora Sztankovics (HUN) 1:33:29.3
8. Lisa Pou (FRA) 1:33:37.8
9. Nilay Erkal (TUR) 1:33:38.2
10. Charlise Oberholzer (RSA) 1:33:38.4
11. Daria Volobueva (RUS) 1:33:40.0
12. Janka Juhasz (HUN) 1:33:40.2
13. Rose Foden (GBR) 1:33:40.3
14. Carlotta De Mattia (ITA) 1:33:40.3
15. Maria Bramont-Arias (PER) 1:33:50.1
16. Robyn Kinghorn (RSA) 1:34:18.4
17. Lotta Steinmann (GER) 1:34:44.2
18. Karelis Clemant (VEN) 1:34:59.2
19. Maria Babkina (RUS) 1:35:00.2
20. Phoebe Griffiths (GBR) 1:35:00.6
21. Kensey McMahon (USA) 1:35:35.0
22. Wenxin Bi (CHN) 1:36:09.8
23. Girloanta Eden (ISR) 1:36:56.9
24. Taylor Pike (USA) 1:37:52.0
25. Michaela Sterbova (CZE) 1:39:29.1
26. Connie McClelland (AUS) 1:40:04.0
27. Jersey Bishop (CAN) 1:41:06.2
28. Talya Harwood (NZL) 1:41:25.3
29. Camila A. Quineche Diaz (PER) 1:42:22.0
30. Imani Theodore (CAN) 1:42:27.4
31. Muhammed Basmla (EGY) 1:43:10.1
32. Mariya Fedotova (KAZ) 1:51:16.1
33. Carolina Cortes Lasalle (URU) 1:56:12.8
DNF Veronica Peralta Jarama (ECU)
DNF Atef Sandy (EGY)
DNF Joselyn Marzoa Artigas (URU)
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