Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
57 women, 10 spots.
That is it.
They train all their lives for this moment, culminating in 4 years of focused preparation, and a race that ends within 2 hours.
But the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships 10 km marathon swim in Kazan is the ultimate test of speed, strength, stamina and strategy. Ten spots are available for the top 10 finishers who will automatically qualify for the 2016 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
Who will go?
If we had to pick the top 25 most likely women to qualify for the 2016 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Rio de Janeiro next summer, we would narrow it down to these women by stint of their previous performances:
1 Becca Mann (USA)
2 Jade Dusablon (CAN)
3 Angela Maurer (GER)
4 Charlotte Mary Webby (NZL)
5 Paola Perez (VEN)
6 Kalliopi Araouzou (GRE)
7 Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED)
8 Sam Harding (CAN)
9 Marianna Lymperta (GRE)
10 Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)
11 Aurelie Muller (FRA)
12 Keri-Anne Payne (GBR)
13 Anastasiia Krapivina (RUS)
14 Haley Anderson (USA)
15 Isabelle Franziska Harle (GER)
16 Poliana Okimoto Cintra (BRA)
17 Karla Sitic (CRO)
18 Chelsea Gubecka (AUS)
19 Erika Villaecija (ESP)
20 Aurora Ponsele (ITA)
21 Cecilia Elizabeth Biagioli (ARG)
22 Rachele Bruni (ITA)
23 Éva Risztov (HUN)
24 Yumi Kida (JPN)
25 Anna Olasz (HUN)
If we had to pick the top 10 most likely women to qualify for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2016 Rio Olympics, we would take a wild guess and narrow it down to these women:
1 Becca Mann (USA)
2 Angela Maurer (GER)
3 Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED)
4 Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)
5 Keri-Anne Payne (GBR)
6 Haley Anderson (USA)
7 Poliana Okimoto Cintra (BRA)
8 Rachele Bruni (ITA)
9 Éva Risztov (HUN) [shown above]
10 Anna Olasz (HUN)
But predictions and guesses mean nothing. 57 women will be swimming as fast and tactically as possible. They will start the race fast and end even faster. There will be surprises – several – and there will be a different group of 10 women who will qualify for the Olympics. Many spots will come down to a photo-finish.
Tuesday is the day. Kazan, Russia is the place.
Women’s 10 km Start List:
1 Reem Mohamed Hussein Elsa Kassem (EGY)
2 Becca Mann (USA)
3 Jade Dusablon (CAN)
4 Alena Benesova (CZE)
5 Angela Maurer (GER)
6 Nikita Shailesh Prabhu (IND)
7 Anastasiia Azarova (RUS)
8 Cindy Toscano GUA)
9 Angelica Astorga (CRC)
10 Mariya Ivanova (KAZ)
11 Charlotte Mary Webby (NZL)
12 Yu Shi (CHN)
13 Carmen Le Roux (RSA)
14 Coralie Marine Oceane Yvo Codevelle (FRA)
15 Paola Perez (VEN)
16 Hoi Man Lok (HKG)
17 Spela Perse (SLO)
18 Kalliopi Araouzou (GRE)
19 Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED)
20 Samantha Arevalo (ECU)
21 Sam Harding (CAN)
22 Marianna Lymperta (GRE)
23 Cho Yiu Kwok (HKG)
24 Michelle Weber (RSA)
25 Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)
26 Angelica Maria (POR)
27 Siyu Yan (CHN)
28 Aurelie Muller (FRA)
29 Danielle Huskisson (GBR)
30 Keri-Anne Payne (GBR)
31 Liliana Hernandez (VEN)
32 Anastasiia Krapivina (RUS)
33 Xeniya Romanchuk (KAZ)
34 Nataly Caldas Calle (ECU)
35 Haley Anderson (USA)
36 Kareena Lee (AUS)
37 Fatima Flores (ESA)
38 Isabelle Franziska Harle (GER)
39 Poliana Okimoto Cintra (BRA)
40 Alondra Castillo (BOL)
41 Karla Sitic (CRO)
42 Julia Lucila Arino (ARG)
43 Ressa Kania Dewi (INA)
44 Montserrat Ortuno (MEX)
45 Chelsea Gubecka (AUS)
46 Erika Villaecija (ESP)
47 Aurora Ponsele (ITA)
48 Cecilia Elizabeth Biagioli (ARG)
49 Mariam Abdelrahman Elsaye Sakr (EGY)
50 Rachele Bruni (ITA)
51 Eva Risztov (HUN)
52 Heidi Gan (MAS)
53 Zaira Cardenas (MEX)
54 Yumi Kida (JPN)
55 Ellen Olsson (SWE)
56 Maria Vilas (ESP)
57 Anna Olasz (HUN)
The predictions for the men’s race are posted here.
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association