2017 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 14 – July 30
- Budapest, Hungary
- Meet Central
- Full Schedule
- Men’s 10k Results
2015 10k World Champ Jordan Wilimovsky and 2016 Olympic champ Ferry Weertman proved once again that they’re the best in the world at that distance today in Lake Balaton, as the two duked it out for gold at the 2017 World Championships.
Two years ago Wilimovsky sailed to the world title, defeating Weertman, who won the silver, by over 12 seconds. Then last year in another close race, Weertman won Olympic gold with Wilimovsky just 3.4 seconds back for 5th place (days after placing 4th in the 1500m pool event).
Neither was involved in a big breakaway today, as the main pack was pretty tightly bunched after an early breakaway from Great Britain’s Jack Burnell and Austria’s David Brandl was swallowed up.
Weertman and Wilimovsky slowly but surely made their way to the front of the race, and in the mad sprint for gold, it was the Dutchman who got there first, just a tenth of a second ahead of the American. Weertman registered a time of 1:51:58.50, with Wilimovsky at 1:51:58.60 for silver.
In the battle for bronze, France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier, who won bronze at the Olympics last year and won the first gold medal of these championships in the 5k event, was less than a second back of those two for 3rd in 1:51:59.20. Burnell, who had been DQed both in Rio and at U.S. Nationals this year, took 4th in 1:52:00.80.
The second American Brendan Casey got inside the top-10, 9th in 1:52:18.60.
Men’s 10k Open Water Top 10
- Ferry Weertman, NED, 1:51:58.50
- Jordan Wilimovsky, USA, 1:51:58.60
- Marc-Antoine Olivier, FRA, 1:51:59.20
- Jack Burnell, GBR, 1:52:00.80
- Kristof Rasovszky, HUN, 1:52:01.70
- David Aubry, FRA, 1:52:01.90
- Simone Ruffini, ITA, 1:52:07.70
- Evgenii Drattcev, RUS, 1:52:10.10
- Brendan Casey, USA, 1:52:18.60
- Federico Vanelli, ITA, 1:52:21.00
Along with the top three, Italians Simone Ruffini and Federico Vanelli remain in the top 10 after placing there in both Kazan and Rio.
Among those out of the top 10 included 2012 bronze medalist Richard Weinberger of Canada (23rd) and 2016 4th place finisher Zu Lijun of China (25th).
So, is there an argument to be made to make drafting illegal for open water races? When the swimmers are this tightly bunched, there’s a lot of luck of positioning that results in a win. And, I can only imagine the grabbing that goes on underwater. It should be a lot easier to do than biking (where they have draft illegal races) since you don’t have a road, but an entire lake to avoid other swimmers.
50 backstroker – they could, but to me, that sucks all the fun out of the sport of open water. The interaction and the conditions and the drafting and the strategy that goes with it is, to me, what makes the sport interesting and different as compared to “just a really long pool swim.”
I suppose. It’s just seems like a mess at the end. With 5 guys within 3 seconds, it’s tough to argue that after swimming 2 hours you’re not as good as the guy(s) who beat you by a couple seconds at the very end where arms are flying all over the place (this is not like pool swimming where the lane lines prevent this and if you lose by a hundredth, it’s because you didn’t swim as fast as the other guy).
I don’t know, I’d like to see a happy medium where, say, the last 100 meters no drafting is allowed. Perhaps they add in buoys to act as lane lines or something and swimmers can fan out… Read more »
Having people close in long distance races is not abnormal though. Look at the Tour de France. Triathlons also end like this pretty regularly. I don’t see it as a problem.
There is Time Trial Races. As 5K Aat the europeans and The The Relay. Not as Exciting though.
That finish was insane. Not sure but it looks like Jordan is way shorter than the other 2 he was racing at the end. His stroke rate is way higher. Ugh, I thought Jordan had it!!
He is 175 and Ferry is 188
Awesome bronze for Olivier after 5km gold: I can’t imagine how much that must’ve hurt. Even if he did edge a Brit into 4th.
Weertman proving himself the best once again, he seems to gave the beat racing brain in the OW races. Tactically perfect as he was in Rio.
Good for Jordan. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that they swam 10K and were only separated by a tenth of a second.In my mind it, seems like someone should be further ahead.
I’m with you on that. Even more excruciating is Alex Meyer coming in 4th in the 25k in ’13, when the top four were separated by less than 1 second. Five plus hours of swimming coming down to a mass finish, and one of the guys doesn’t get a medal.
Bummer for Jordan… seems like he is always missing out by slim margins in open water. Can’t imagine losing a 10k by just a tenth
Except for winning the world title in 2015 and earning the automatic spot for Rio.
In his last three major international appearances in the 10k, he’s been the champion (Kazan, 2015), 5th (Rio), and 2nd (Budapest). Then there’s his 4th in the pool 1500. That’s a great record of consistency, if you ask me.
Getting on the podium is nothing to sneeze at. I wouldn’t call it losing.