Within a week of their performances at the 2019 World Championships, Italy’s Rachele Bruni and Hungary’s Kristof Rasovszky won the Lac St. Jean stop of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series.
The 2019 World Championships for open water swimming wrapped up only a few days ago in Gwangju, Korea. But FINA’s Marathon Swim World Series wasted no time in resuming, with the Canadian stop at Lac St. Jean taking place Sunday – that’s just two days after the 25K events at Worlds, the final events of the Worlds schedule.
Neither Bruni nor Rasovszky swam the 25Ks at Worlds, but both did compete in the team 5K relay event on Thursday, July 18. Three days later, they were halfway across the world in Canada, winning the Lac St. Jean event.
Bruni came off an individual bronze in the 10K (along with a 2020 Olympic berth) and a silver in the team 5K at Worlds to win the 10K at Lac St. Jean. She bested Hungary’s Anna Olasz and France’s Caroline Jouisse.
Rasovszky finished 4th in the 10K at Worlds, just one spot out of medals. He did win a gold medal in the men’s 5K, though. In Lac St. Jean, he beat Fares Zitouni of France and Dario Verani of Italy for the win.
Lac St. Jean marks the middle of the 2019 Marathon Swim World Series – it’s the 5th stop of the tour, with four stops remaining. Next up is Ohrid, Macedonia on August 28.
Rasovszky competed in the 25K at Worlds, but retired after less than two hours into the race.