Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
It is rare to see Haley Anderson not smiling. Her genuinely warm smile comes from deep within her joyful approach to life.
Watch her in school, watch her in workout, watch her with her teammates, and there is nearly always a smile. Wide and white.
And those around her are always smiling too. Her coach Catherine Vogt is almost impossibly even more permanent smile than Anderson. It is a winning duo that has navigated the 2016 Rio Olympic quadrennial as well as expertly as can be expected. Graduation from university, transition to a life as a professional athlete, and her future professional and athletic goals have been strategically balanced by the athlete and her coach.
But those goals are not public. “My goals are definitely internal,” she told Peggy Shinn of TeamUSA. “I’m always really scared telling people my goals. Sometimes I don’t even tell my coaches.”
After losing out in a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympic 10K Marathon Swim to Hungary Éva Risztov, it is a good guess what at least one of her goals is. “Getting silver last time, it would be nice to get gold.”
Which is what she received in yesterday’s tough, crowded FINA/HOSA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup race in Cozumel, Mexico. With many fellow Olympians, 3 Olympic medalists (Risztov, Martina Grimaldi, Keri-Anne Payne) and 69 total athletes in the field, it was going to be interested to see who came out on top. The crowded field in Cozumel will undoubtedly be even more crowded and competitive in Kazan.
Besides Anderson’s victory, there were all kinds of interesting subplots to the race that is probably the best indicator what may happen at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan:
1. The Brazilian duo of Ana Marcela Cunha and Poliana Okimoto did expectedly well, albeit they did not replicate their 1-2 finish at the 2013 World Championships.
2. Cecilia Biagioli is doing very well balancing motherhood and racing.
3. Hungary’s Anna Olasz will continue to be an emery force to reckon with, making the Hungary female team one of the most formidable in the open water world together with Risztov and Nikoletta Kiss.
4. Chelsea Gubecka is rapidly emerging as Australian’s best bet for a top 10 finish in Kazan.
5. Do not count Keri-Anne Payne (19th), Martina Grimaldi (17th) or Sharon van Rouwendaal (21st) out in Kazan based on their uncharacteristic finishes in Mexico. All three swimmers will be competing for the podium at the world championships.
Final Results
1 Haley Anderson (USA) 1:48.01.001
2 Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) 1:48.04.00
3 Aurora Ponsele (ITA) 1:48.05.00
4 Anna Olasz (HUN) 1:48.06.00
5 Cecilia Biagioli (ARG) 1:48.07.00
6 Poliana Okimoto (BRA) 1:48.07.01
7 Chelsea Gubecka (AUS) 1:48.07.02
8 Éva Risztov (HUN) 1:48.25.00
9 Nikoletta Kiss (HUN) 1:48.26.00
10 Isabelle Harle (GER) 1:48.27.00
11 Paola Perez (VEN) 1:48.28.00
12 Ángela Mauer (GER) 1:48.30.00
13 Rachele Bruni (ITA) 1:48.30.01
14 Kareena Lee (AUS) 1:48.42.00
15 Arianna Bridi (ITA) 1:48.45.00
16 Charlotte Webby (NZL) 1:48.47.00
17 Martina Grimaldi (ITA) 1:48.47.01
18 Zaira Cardenas (MEX) 1:48.48.00
19 Keri-Anne Payne (GRB) 1:48.52.00
20 Samantha Arevalo Salinas (ECU) 1:49.08.00
21 Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED) 1:49.36.00
22 Christine Jennings (USA) 1:49.56.00
23 Angélica Andre (POR) 1:51.15.00
24 Carolina Bilich (BRA) 1:51.26.00
25 Finnia Wunram (GER) 1:51.26.01
26 Xeniya Romanchuk (KAZ) 1:51.27.00
27 Jade Dusablon (CAN) 1:51.31.00
28 Svenja Zihsler (GER) 1:51.37.00
29 Melissa Gorman (AUS) 1:51.37.02
30 Emily Brunemann (USA) 1:51.37.03
31 Yumi Kida (JPN) 1:51.45.00
32 Montserrat Ortudo (MEX) 1:52.57.00
33 Liliana Hernandez (VEN) 1:52.58.00
34 Miki Asayama (JPN) 1:52.59.00
35 Alice Dearing (GBR) 1:52.59.01
36 Heidi Gan (MAS) 1:53.42.00
37 Vania Neves (POR) 1.53.52.00
38 Nataly Caldas (ETU) 1.54.02.00
39 Samantha Harding (CAN) 1:54.12.00
40 Danielle Hoskisson (GBR) 1:54.13.00
41 Stephanie Horner (CAN) 1:54.56.00
42 Lauren Teghtsoonian (CAN) 1.55.08.00
43 Silvie Rybarova (CZE) 1:55.35.00
44 Julia Arino (ARG) 1:58.20.00
45 Katherine Hemstreet Karling (CAN) 1:59.04.00
46 Zsofia Balasz (CAN) 1:59.13.00
47 Sabryna Lavoie (CAN) 1:59.14.00
48 Astrid Iturbide (VEN) 1:59.27.00
49 Cindy Toscando (GUA) 1:59.28.00
50 Victoria Mock (CAN) 1:59.31.00
51 Melissa Villasenor (MEX) 2:00.05.00
52 Jane MacDougall (CAN) 2:00.07.00
53 Penelope Hayes (NZL) 2:02.26.00
54 Kaitlin Gervais (CAN) 2:02.31.00
55 Lauren Lalumiere (CAN) 2:03.31.00
56 Mahina Valdivia (CHI) 2:04.57.00
57 Gabrielle Soucisse (CAN) 2:05.38.00
58 Tessa Cieplucha (CAN) 2:06.04.00
59 Marie Charlotte Hamel (CAN) 2:09.15.00
60 Maria Angélica Astorga (CRC) 2:09.23.00
61 Deni Guadalupe Rrodriguez (MEX) 2:11.33.00
62 Shelby Stene (CAN) 2:16.09.00
63 Diana Lucille Marroquin (MEX) 2:16.11.00
64 Cecy Cohen (MEX) 2:17.06.00
65 Carol Ann Saudie 2:17.36.00
66 Heather Maitland (CAN) DNF
67 Justine Rheaume (CAN) DNF
68 Sarah Bosselet (GER) DNF
69 Caitlin Nolan (CAN) DNF
Swimming photo of Haley Anderson and podium finish photo of Ana Marcela Cunha, Haley Anderson and Aurora Ponsele by Dr. Jim Miller.
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association