2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Results
After missing the women’s 10-kilometer world title by just half a second last year in Budapest, Hungary, German open water standout Leonie Beck earned redemption with a 10km victory Saturday morning in Japan to kick off the swimming portion of the 2023 World Championships.
The 26-year-old Beck touched in 2:02:34.00, beating Australia’s Chelsea Gubecka (2:02:38.10) by four seconds.
“Today’s race was really hard and it was a fight,” Beck said. “The first half was okay and I tried to conserve my energy. The last lap was a fight to be in the right place for the finish. I knew that I was racing against the best swimmers in the world. They were all very fast with excellent tactics. I found my way to the front of the pack. I am training in Italy now with my new coach and these training partners are my family now.”
Sandpipers of Nevada star Katie Grimes led for the first four laps before reaching the wall in 2:02:42.30, edging defending world champion Sharon van Rouwendaal (2:02:42.40) of the Netherlands and reigning Olympic gold medalist Ana Marcela Cunha (2:02:42.50) of Brazil in a photo finish for the bronze medal — and the last qualifying berth for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The top 3 finishers in this race all automatically qualify for the Olympic Games.
Epic finish for 17-year-old Katie Grimes to become the first of what will be more than 500 athletes to make the 2024 U.S. Olympic team. Out-touches the last two Olympic champs in the open-water 10km by one tenth of a second after 2 hours at sea (@peacock). https://t.co/seTGFa7qls pic.twitter.com/Ut2xt4AZzb
— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) July 15, 2023
In the process, the 17-year-old Grimes became the first American athlete in any sport to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics and just the fourth American woman ever to qualify for the Olympic 10km. She was the youngest member of U.S.’s Tokyo Olympic team two summers ago at just 15 years old. At last year’s World Championships, Grimes placed 5th in the 10km while picking up silver medals in the 1500 freestyle and 400 IM.
“(Today’s result took) a lot of planning and a lot of strategies, and a lot of hard work and dedication,” Grimes said. “I just needed to believe in myself, that’s what it came down to. I will be competing (in the pool events at the) World Championships next week so I am going to focus on recovering and getting ready for that.”
Since open water swimming was added to the Olympics in 2008, there has only been one teenage medalist. If Grimes qualifies for Paris 2024 in the pool as well next June, she would be the second American to qualify for both pool and open water events after Jordan Wilimovsky accomplished the feat in 2016 (4th in 1500 free, 5th in 10km).
It will be the first trip to the Olympics for Gubecka and the second for both Grimes and Beck. The remaining swimmers for the 10km at Paris 2024 will be decided at the 2024 World Championships in Doha next February.
“I’m really excited.” Gubecka said. “This is my 6th World Championships. I’ve raced 10 kilometers every single time, so I think it’s a long time coming, but I’m just sort of starting to get into my groove now. I feel like I’m a little bit older and getting wiser by the second.”
Italy’s Ginevra Taddeuci finished 12.7 seconds behind the pack in 6th place with a 2:02:46.70. The 26-year-old is ranked fourth on the World Cup circuit this year. Germany’s Lea Boy took 7th place in 2:03:12.90 with rising Indiana junior Mariah Denigan not far behind in 2:03.13.50.
The men’s 10km takes place on Sunday morning (Saturday night in the U.S.).
Wonderful heading picture of Katie, caught in a full smile that is a bit of a rarity for her, at least publicly. Very engaging, Katie… show that smile off more often! Great job on the photo and its selection to head the article.
Congratulations KG!!! So fitting that she is 1st to qualify 👌👌👌
Go Grimes!!
Katie Grimes is the only female swimmer in the Top 5 finishers of the women’s 10 kilometer open water competition scheduled to swim the W 1500 FR in the pool competition.
Are you sure top 5 make Olympics? I thought it was top 3?
#letGrimestaper
In the realm of aquatic grace,
A champion emerges, setting the pace.
Katie Grimes, a star on the rise,
With each stroke, she mesmerizes.
In Japan’s waters, the battle was fought,
Where Leonie Beck’s victory was sought.
But amidst the waves, a tale was weaved,
A triumph for Grimes, she fiercely believed.
Barely touching the wall, a photo finish,
Grimes secured her place, her spirit undiminished.
Defending champion and gold medalist strong,
Van Rouwendaal and Cunha, they all belong.
At just seventeen, Grimes takes the lead,
Becoming the first American, a remarkable deed.
Paris 2024 beckons, her dream drawing near,
A trailblazer in the making, with nothing to… Read more »
BOOOO YOU STINK
Why do people hate this guy lol
they are probably whiny little Aussie punks.
i liked it. Bunch of grumpy childish haters here. It’s quite pathetic.
Does anyone else think OW swimmers could work on finish skills, given how close these races are?
Looked to me like van Rouwendaal might’ve had the lead, but lost it at the end by taking an extra stroke rather than reaching for the pad.
yeah Grimes the relative rookie out touched 2 vets. def takes some stroke turnover planning going into the pad
Not merely open water swimmers. As I’ve posted several times, I can’t believe how unsophisticated this sport is in terms of hitting the wall, given the dedication to maximizing everything else. Between long gliders and short strokers and those who are far superior touching with one arm than the other, it’s like a contest to give away vital hundredths and tenths.
Makes me appreciate sharp adaptive bulldog finishers like Lilly King.
Yeah, doubtless. It looks like a subtle art, sort of a middle ground between not letting the stroke or speed down while putting an eye on the board, timing the armfall. If you look, Grimes wins the Paris spot with her head down in the water! She had looked at the board a last time with a couple of strokes left, then bulled toward it. Sort of like an outfielder momentarily seeing where the ball has been hit and turning to go to that spot intuitively… but with the added trouble of not taking water into the windpipe!
They work it.
But it is much harder to time than a pool touch:
• 60 cm high pad
• No black line to identify where you are or to swim straight
• Moving water
• Swimmers around you