Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
The finish at the 5 km women’s race at the USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships may be a precursor to the finals of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The top pre-race favorites raced to literally the final stroke in an exciting finish.
In the 10 km race, Haley Anderson (2:01:56.28), Poliana Okimoto (2:01:56.43) and Aurélie Muller (2:01:56.44) finished only a few tenths apart.
In the 5 km race today, it was even closer between these Olympians [see temporary results below].
The officials are going over the replay now – repeatedly – to confirm who won this thrilling 5 km race where Muller had held the lead for a long while as Okimoto pulled alongside over the last 500 meters and Anderson came sprinting from behind with less than 100 meters to go.
It was just too close to call with the naked eye and the officials are reviewing the situation frame-by-frame with the high-speed cameras positioned on the finish pontoon.
Aerial images produced by Chris and Nate Lundie of Take It Live Productions.
Final results:
1 Aurélie Muller (France) 1:01:48.30
1 Aurélie Muller (France) 1:01:48.30
2 Haley Anderson (USA) 1:01:48.40
3 Poliana Okimoto (Brazil) 1:01:48.52
4 Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) 1:01:49.61
5 Rachele Bruni (Italy) 1:01:50.04
6 Arianna Brini (Italy) 1:01:50.09
7 Emily Brunemann (USA) 1:01:55.65
8 Ashley Twichell (USA) 1:02:20.62
9 Yumi Kida (Japan) 1:02:22.68
10 Eva Fabian (USA) 1:02:23.05
11 Joy Field (USA) 1:02:23.85
12 Angelica Andre (Portugal) 1:02:27.69
13 Stephanie Peacock (USA) 1:02:29.37
14 Taylor Pike (USA) 1:04:02.15
15 Sarah Bosslet (Germany) 1:04:37.18
16 Erica Sullivan (USA) 1:04:52.23
17 Alice Franco (Italy) 1:04:54.83
18 Ana Pozder (USA) 1:05:15.29
19 Alicia Mancilla (USA) 1:05:19.16
20 Hailey Houck (USA) 1:05:21.81
21 Cathryn Salladin (USA) 1:05:30.19
22 Natalie Ward (USA) 1:05:54.31
23 Eliot Kennedy (USA) 1:06:22.64
24 Chenoa Davis (USA) 1:07:00.07
25 Kat Wickham (USA) 1:07:04.84
26 Mary Margaret Banick (USA) 1:07:04.84
27 Haley Pike (USA) 1:07:08.84
28 Heidi George (USA) 1:07:10.00
29 Kensey McMahon (USA) 1:07:10.63
30 Caitlin Daday (USA) 1:07:14.22
31 Jordan Anderson (USA) 1:07:20.24
32 Reese Lamph (USA) 1:07:26.64
33 Sabrina Mortell (USA) 1:08:17.07
34 Brittney Beetcher (USA) 1:09:14.13
35 Casey Francis (USA) 1:13:46.51
DNF Sharon Van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association