2025 World Championships: Open Water 3k Knockout Sprint Live Recap

2025 World Championships

• July 21 – August 3, 2025
• Singapore, Singapore
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• 10k Live Recaps: Women | Men
• 5k Live Recap
• 3k Start Lists: Women | Men
• Livestream (Pay-To-Watch)

Welcome to the 3k Knockout Sprint at the 2025 World Championships.

This is the first year the event will be swum at the World Championships, but it has been raced at the World Junior Championships and at two of the three World Cup stops.

For those who are unfamiliar, the way this works is a little different than typical open water races. The 3k knockout sprint is three races within a period of about an hour.

It will start with two heats that will swim almost simultaneously of an open water 1500. That race will get knocked down to 20 athletes (10 from each heat) who will move on and swim an open water 1000.

From there, the top 10 athletes will swim a open water 500m sprint to determine the champion.

The women’s race is first and Moesha Johnson and Ginevra Taddeucci are the favorites winning the gold and silver medal respectively in both the 5k and the 10k earlier this week.

They will both compete in the 1st heat, along with Germany’s Lea Boy and Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto. Both Boy and Kajimoto have experience with this race, and each of them won one of the World Cup stops earlier this year.

The 2nd heat will feature both Americans, Mariah Denigan and Brinkleigh Hansen.

The men’s event is a little more spread out with Florian Wellbrock, the 5k and 10k gold medalist appearing in heat 2, and Gregorio Paltrinieri appearing in heat one.

David Betlehem, from Hungary, and Oliver Klemet, from Germany, were the World Cup Champions and they will swim in the 2nd heat as well.

The American men will also be split up with Ivan Puskovitch appearing in heat 1 and Dylan Gravley swimming in heat 2.

Women’s Recap

1500

Heat 1

Lisa Pou took the lead at the start of heat one, setting herself up for a strong spot and potential for a spot in the 2nd heat.

As the heat went on, Ginevra Taddeucci and Isabel Gose took over the lead around the 8-minute mark of the race.

Moesha Johnson sat back in 8th at the beginning, but as the race went on, she continued to move her way up, sitting around 4th place as Taddeucci took the lead.

1. Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA)- 18:09.70
2.  Ichika Kajimoto (JPN)- 18:09.90
3. Isabel Gose (GER)- 18:11.40
4. Moesha Johnson (AUS)- 18:11.70
5. Lisa Pou (MON)- 18:13.20
6. Tayla Martin (AUS)- 18:13.60
7. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)- 18:14.50
8. Viviane Jungblut (BRA)- 18:14.70
9. Margarita Ershova (NAB)- 18:15.10
10. Lea Boy (GER)- 18:15.20

Heat 2

Bettina Fabian led heat two through most of the race, until Kseniia Misharina passed her around the final turn

On the final straight, Misharina and Fabian were comfortably in and many of the athletes in the 2nd heat swimmers were swimming straight across and incredibly close including Mariah Denigan.

1. Kseniia Misharina (NAB)- 18:33.30
2. Bettina Fabian (HUN)- 18:34.70
3. Clemence Coccordano (FRA)- 18:35.50
4. Angela Martinez Guillen (ESP)- 18:35.60
5. Caroline Laure Jouisse (FRA)- 18:35.80
6. Antonietta Cesarano (ITA)- 18:36.00
7. Mariah Denigan (USA)- 18:36.40
8. Callan Lotter (RSA)- 18:36.40
9. Klaudia Tarasiewicz (POL)- 18:36.70
10. Georgia Makri (GRE)- 18:36.80

Semifinal 1000m

Isabel Gose took the race out fast to grab onto the lead at the very beginning. Ginevra Taddeucci was sitting just behind her, and Fabian was sitting in 3rd at the first turn

Around the 2nd turn, Johnson was in the 6th position, and Ichika Kajimoto moved into 3rd overall. Taddeucci took the lead coming out of that turn over Gose, putting herself in a strong lead to make it back for the final.

The 2nd to last turn saw Johnson get completely pinched in the turn, putting her in a slightly uncomfortable position to finish in that top 10.

Taddeucci stayed in the lead through the final turn, with Gose right on her hip.

Taddeucci aand Gose slowly started giving up some of their lead on the final straight away, ending up straight across with numerous other athletes.

Johnson was able to come back onto the field, finishing into the top 10 and making the final comfortably, along with Taddeucci, Kajimoto and Gose.

Top 10:

1. Moesha Johnson (AUS)- 12:09.60
2. Ichika Kajimoto (JPN)- 12:09.70
3. Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA)- 12:10.00
4. Isabel Gose (GER)- 12:10.00
5. Angela Martinez Guillen (ESP)- 12:10.50
6. Margarita Ershova (NAB)- 12:10.90
7. Kseniia Misharina (NAB)- 12:11.10
8. Bettina Fabian (HUN) 12:11.3-
9. Lisa Pou (MON)- 12:11.70
10. Lea Boy (GER)- 12:11.70

Final 500

Moesha Johnson got out hard and fast in the 500, opening up a massive lead on the rest of the field at the very beginning.

Kajimoto began losing her cap about 2 minutes into the race, and Gose moved into 2nd overall just behind Gose.

Around the 2nd turn, Johnson had a solid lead over Gose in 2nd. Fabian was in 3rd, opening up a significant gap on the rest of the field among those three.

Gose really began battling back after the 2nd turn, coming up right next to her before the final turn.

Johnson took the interior spot going into the turn, which gave her the slight lead, but Gose quickly made that ground up.

Fabian began climbing up and finding herself in a three-across race with Johnson and Gose

Pou also began climbing up, along with Kajimoto, who was swimming capless, making it five across going into the final part of the race.

Johnson was squeezed incredibly tight in the middle of the field, and got caught up in the wave falling back.

Kajimoto surged forward, securing a body length lead at the end, winning by a very large margin to win Japan’s first ever gold medal in open water swimming.

HISTORY MADE! First-ever women’s 3km knockout sprint WORLD CHAMPION – 🇯🇵 ICHIKA KAJIMOTO! #AQUASingapore2025 finish sprint to claim first-ever open water swimming world champion title for 🇯🇵 Japan! pic.twitter.com/iZjpdFVNoa

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) July 19, 2025

Taddeucci finished 2nd, and Johnson and Fabian were battling for 3rd, ending in a tie allowing Fabian to win her first individual world medal

Top 3

1. Ichika Kajimoto (JPN)- 6:19.90
2. Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA)- 6:21.90
3. Moesha Johnson (AUS)/Bettina Fabian (HUN)- 6:23.10

Men’s Recap

1500m

Heat 1

The first heat opened up and two distinct packs formed right at the beginning.

Going into the first turn Matteo Diodato from Italy was in the lead with Gregorio Paltrinieri and Thomas Raymond.

Around the last turn, Diodato maintained the lead in a very comfortable position with Paltrinieri in 2nd on the outside. Overall, the men at the front had quite a bit of separation between them.

Paltrinieri, Raymond, Ivan Puskovitch, and Martin Straka all made it in.

Top 10

1. Matteo Diodato (ITA)- 17:00.90
2. Thomas Raymond (AUS)- 17:03.80
3. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA)- 17:03.90
4. Martin Straka (CZE)- 17:06.20
5. Ivan Puskovitch (USA)- 17:08.80
6. Logan Fontaine (FRA)- 17:08.90
7. Eric Brown (CAN)- 17:10.10
8. Lev Cherepanov (KAZ)- 17:11.40
9. Christian Schreiber (SUI)- 17:11.50
10. Vadislav Utrobin (NAB)- 17:11.50

Heat 2

In heat two, David Betlehem got out into an early lead just ahead of Florian Wellbrock of Germany.

Betlehem and Wellbrock continued battling throughout, coming into the final leg of the race side-by-side quite a bit ahead of the rest of the field.

Again, the heat was relatively separated throughout with not a ton of battling happening into the chute at the end.

Wellbrock took the win with Betlehem 2nd, Nicholas Sloman, Oliver Klemet, and Marc-Antoine Olivier all making it comfortably as well.

Top 10

1. Florian Wellbrock (GER)- 17:00.40
2. David Betlehem (HUN)- 17:01.40
3. Nicholas Sloman (AUS)- 17:03.90
4. Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA)- 17:05.00
5. Kristof Rasovszky (HUN)- 17:05.70
6. Oliver Klemet (GER)- 17:05.70
7. Paul Niederberger (SUI)- 17:06.90
8. Athanasios Kynigakis (GRE)- 17:08.20
9. Dylan Gravley (USA)- 17:08.60
10. Luca Karl (AUT)- 17:08.70

Semifinal- 1000m

Florian Wellbrock got out to a fast lead, setting himself up for smooth water out front from the beginning.

Betlehem slotted in behind him sitting right on his feeet, and the back formed behind those two out front.

As the race went on Logan Fontaine and Marc-Antoine Olivier were sitting behind Betlehem side-by-side.

Going into the final stretch it was Wellbrock and Betlehem and a large pack behind them trying to make it into the top 10.

Australian Raymond also began building up and moving his way up the field to battle with Fontaine for 2nd.

Wellbrock and Betlehem finished 1-2 with Olivier just behind them in 3rd.

The end of the race was so close that all the way to 17th requires photo analysis to determine who made it and who did not.

Top 10

1. Florian Wellbrock (GER)- 11:27.20
2. David Betlehem (HUN)- 11:27.80
3. Thomas Raymond (AUS)- 11:28.10
4. Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA)- 11:29.20
5. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA)- 11:30.40
6. Logan Fontaine (FRA)- 11:30.80
7. Ivan Puskovitch (USA)- 11:31.80
8. Martin Straka (CZE)- 11:31.90
9. Kristof Rasovszky (HUN)- 11:32.60
10. Nicholas Sloman (AUS)- 11:32.60

Final 500

Wellbrock again got out to an early lead staying out in front through the first two turns.

Betlehem was right on his tail, trying to chase him down around the corners, but Wellbrock was out too far in the lead.

Olivier sat just behind them in 3rd, with the three of them separating htemselves almost entirely from the rest of the field.

Betlehem and Olivier were turning on the gas to try to catch Wellbrock, but they could not catch up with his very smooth speed.

As the final stretch continued, Wellbrock and Betlehem separated themselves even further from Olivier and further still from the other eight swimmers.

Wellbrock touched in 1st, completing a distance sweep in the 10k, 5k, and 3k knockout swim.

He won every leg of the knockout, meaning he has not lost a single race yet this World Championships.

Bethlehm was 2nd 1.7 seconds behind Wellbrock and three-and-a-half seconds ahead of Olivier who was 3rd. Olivier was more than seven seconds ahead of the rest of the field

The American, Puskovitch, was 7th.

Top 3

1. Florian Wellbrock (GER)- 5:46.00
2. David Betlehem (HUN)- 5:47.70
3. Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA)- 5:51.10