The curtain fell on first race of these World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). In the body of water of the Seaside Momochi Beach Park, the women’s 10 km she delivered her own verdicts and was the German Leonie Beck to win the world title.
The Teutonic, yes gold in last year’s European Championships in Rome, confirmed its high level, interpreting the test to perfection and coming out with great insistence on the last lap. Choosing a “navigation” line of her own, Beck managed to detach all and touch solo (2h02’34″0), ahead of the Australian Chelsea Lea Gubecka (2h02’38″1), very active right from the start, and American-style Katie Grimes (2h02’42″3)extraordinary in the last part of the race, with a super powerful swim, to beat the Olympic gold medals of Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 at the photo finish, Sharon van Rouwendaal (2h02’42″4) e Ana Marcela Cunha (2h02’42″5).
As per the regulation, they were the first three female athletes who took off the ticket for the Paris 2024 Olympics in this event. 13 more shares they will be assigned in the world championship in Doha in February 2024.
They will have to resort to the second chance to qualify for the Games Geneva Taddeucci e Giulia Gabrielleschi. The two blues finished the 10 km in sixth position (2h02’46″7) and in tenth position (2h03’15″7). Taddeucci, always in the top positions, arrived “crushed” in the last part, not having the opportunity to fight for the top-3 in the sprint. More backward Gabbrielleschi who lost ground in the passages to the buoys, unable to recover.
Photo: Lapresse