World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup 2025 – Stop 2
- April 25-26, 2025
- Ibiza, Spain
- Meet Central
The Italian men put together a 10k podium sweep last weekend at the Open Water Swimming World Cup in Ibiza, while Spaniard Angela Martinez Guillen won the women’s event on home turf. Meanwhile, German stars Oliver Klemet and Lea Boy topped the inaugural 3k knockout sprint races.
Andrea Filadelli beat out a tough field to capture his first-ever individual World Cup victory. Dario Verani, the 2022 World Champion in the 25k distance, took second. Behind the leading pack for much of the race, the two training partners caught up to the field and then passed them on the final lap. After a disqualification at the last World Cup stop in Somabay, Egypt, Italian Giusepe Ilario redeemed himself by rounding out the all-Italian podium.
2016 Olympic open water bronze medalist Marc-Antoine Olivier finished fourth for France, touching about three seconds after Ilario. American Joey Tepper came in fifth. Gregorio Paltrinieri, who was with the leading pack for the start of the race, faded to 15th.
The women’s 10k race went to 21-year-old Angela Martinez Guillen. An Alicante native, Martinez Guillen took over the last lap and led a close pack to win in her home country.
“It’s amazing to compete here,” Martinez Guillen told World Aquatics. “I have my family here and I’m happy to share this performance with them now. Of course, I am very happy about this and I hope and look to carry this type of performance into my next competitions – especially in Singapore.”
Touching just behind Martinez Guillen were Germany’s Celine Rieder and Hungary’s Bettina Fabian to earn silver and bronze, respectively. For Martinez Guillen and Rieder, it was their highest-ever individual finishes at a World Cup.
Men’s Top 5
- Andrea Filadelli (ITA) — 1:50:30.90
- Dario Verani (ITA) — 1:50:33.20
- Giusepe Ilario (ITA) — 1:50:34.90
- Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA) —1:50:37.70
- Joey Tepper (USA) —1:50:37.80
Women’s Top 5
- Angela Martinez Guillen (ESP) — 1:58:41.40
- Celine Rieder (GER) — 1:58:43.30
- Bettina Fabian (HUN) — 1:58:45.20
- Ines Delacroix (FRA) — 1:58:46.00
- Lea Boy (GER) — 1:58:46.70
Inaugural 3k Knockout Sprint
World Aquatics debuted a new three-stage sudden elimination 3k event. All competitors race the first 1500 meters, and the top 20 in the pack make it to the next round. Then, the top 20 regroup and race another kilometer, with the top 10 making it to the final 500 meters. Then, the sprint is on for another set of open water medals. Swimmers aim to conserve energy for the sprint while still ranking high enough to advance to the next round.
Germany’s Lea Boy gave a master class in this conservation game, sprinting to become the event’s first gold medalist after laying relatively low in the first rounds. The 25-year-old came in 7th in the second round before posting a 5:18.50 in the final 500 meters to win by three seconds.
Bettina Fabian notched her second medal of the meet by earning silver, while bronze went to Ichika Kajimoto earned bronze. Kajimoto was the only non-European to medal at this stop.
The first men’s gold medal also went to a German: 23-year-old Oliver Klemet. Unlike his countrymate Boy, Klemet asserted his dominance from the start, topping both of the first two rounds and never looking back.
Germany won gold in both genders and Hungary won silver, with David Betlehem coming in second. Marc-Antoine Olivier captured the bronze for France.
Updated World Rankings
Women
- Sharon Van Rouwendaal (NED)
- Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)
- Bettina Fabian (HUN)
- Leonie Beck (GER)
- Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA)
- Caroline Laure Jouisse (FRA)
- Moesha Johnson (AUS)
- Angelica Andre (POR)
- Viviane Jungblut (BRA)
- Angela Martinez Guillen (ESP)
Men
- Kristof Rasovszky (HUN)
- Logan Fontaine (FRA)
- Oliver Klemet (GER)
- Domenico Acerenza (ITA)
- David Betlehem (HUN)
- Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA)
- Florian Wellbrock (GER)
- Hector Pardoe (GBR)
- Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA)
- Paulo Strehlke Delgado (MEX)
The next Open Water World Cup stop will be from June 15-16 in Setubal, Portugal.
Bet Bethlehem is really happy Hungary twisted his arm to get him out of NC State at the semester. (LOL)
He just placed 34th in the 10,000 World Cup race in Ibiza, Spain. I bet he would have had more fun at NCAA and come out of it with more motivation than he got from 34th in Ibiza.
Effective administration, Hungary.
I will start by saying Openwater racing is a “long distance” discipline to me, but I do like the new 3km knockout event, it adds a whole new level of tactics and strategies. I suspect this event may tempt a few of the pool distance swimmers to cross-over and sink their teeth into the Openwater environment, which can only be great for the Openwater popularity and exposure.
Not sure who come up with the 3km concept but well done World Aquatics for implementing the innovation.