Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands made a thrilling late surge to secure gold in the women’s 10km marathon swim, held in the River Seine. The Olympic champion from 2016 overcame Australia’s Moesha Johnson, who had dominated much of the race, in a gripping final lap to claim victory with a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 34.2 seconds.
Van Rouwendaal, who narrowly missed out on gold in Tokyo 2021 by just 0.9 seconds and had to settle for silver, demonstrated her determination and resilience in this race. The 30-year-old’s victory marks a significant comeback after her heart-wrenching near-miss at the last Olympic Games.
Moesha Johnson, despite leading for the majority of the race, finished 5.5 seconds behind, taking the silver medal. Italy’s Ginevra Taddeucci secured the bronze, while Great Britain’s Leah Crisp finished 20th.
The marathon swim was not without its challenges, as concerns about water quality in the Seine had been a major talking point ahead of the event. A scheduled familiarization session for swimmers had to be canceled after bacterial levels in the river dropped below the required safety standards. However, the water was deemed safe following further tests, allowing the 10km race to proceed as planned on Thursday.
The focus now shifts to the men’s marathon swim, set to take place on Friday, as athletes and organizers remain vigilant about the Seine’s water quality, a significant issue that has overshadowed parts of the Paris 2024 preparations.
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