Cunha Wins Women’s 10K, Twichell The Top American At Open Water Nats

2019 U.S. OPEN WATER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

In what was a tightly contested race through all six laps, Brazilian Ana Marcela Cunha came away with the victory in the women’s 10K at the U.S. Open Water National Championships in Miami.

Cunha was up at the front of the lead pack throughout, along with a large group that was originally 13 and tailed off to 11 prior to the halfway mark. She held the slight lead ahead of Haley Anderson and Erica Sullivan heading into the final lap, and after no one was able to break away down the stretch, it was a wild sprint between five swimmers down the finishing chute.

In the end, it was Cunha barely holding off American Ashley Twichell for the win, with Anderson touching third and Sullivan fourth.

Hannah Moore of Wolfpack Elite was up with this lead pack as well, but was given her second yellow flag on the fifth lap and thus disqualified. Officials were unable to get her attention during the race, so she finished before finding out about the DQ. An official protest was filed, but the disqualification was upheld.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

  1. Ana Marcela Cunha, Brazil, 2:00:00.17
  2. Ashley Twichell, Tac Titans, 2:00:00.67
  3. Haley Anderson, Trojan Swim Club, 2:00:01.10
  4. Erica Sullivan, Sandpipers of Nevada, 2:00:06.00
  5. Katy Campbell, Team Santa Monica, 2:00:13.55
  6. Becca Mann, Unattached, 2:00:14.65
  7. Mariah Denigan, Northern KY Clippers, 2:00:45.38
  8. Kensey McMahon, University of Alabama Swim Club, 2:01:10.10
  9. Chase Travis, Nation’s Capital Swim Club, 2:01:58.07
  10. Brooke Travis, Nation’s Capital Swim Club, 2:02:16.93

Since Cunha is Brazilian, Twichell will be named the National Champion, giving her three straight victories. Cunha is a nine-time World Championship medalist, including three gold that all came in the 25K event (2011, 2015, 2017).

As the top two Americans, Twichell and Anderson both qualify for the U.S. World Championship team in this event, just as they did in 2017. In the 10K in Budapest, Anderson was sixth and Twichell tenth.

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I missed it
5 years ago

Is there a place we can watch the livestream?

OLGA
5 years ago

Does anyone feel Hannah interfered with the outcome of the race by not getting out?

State fan
Reply to  OLGA
5 years ago

I don’t think she saw either flag so she didn’t know she had been DQed

SwimFL
Reply to  OLGA
5 years ago

The announcers were talking about this during the race but it doesn’t appear that her 4th place finish interfered with Ashley or Haley or anyone else’s placing the last 500 meters or so because Hannah fell off from the top 3.

5 years ago

Can someone tell me what gets you a yellow flag? And what Hannah presumably did to earn hers?

Dude
Reply to  Eddie Rowe
5 years ago

Being needlessly or purposefully rough. I’m not sure what she specifically did though I didn’t notice anything.

RenéDescartes
Reply to  Dude
5 years ago

Twitter said she was swimming on top of other people. Did it twice, first was a yellow, and then a second yellow.

Brownish
Reply to  RenéDescartes
5 years ago

It’s more than enough.

sad but true
Reply to  RenéDescartes
5 years ago

From the course… swimmers said there was cause for more than two Yellows. She earned that Red for sure. Officials said there was two for sure, and a few they might have let slide for the benefit of the swimmer.

swimma
Reply to  sad but true
5 years ago

I have to agree. It was quite bizarre how much she was clearly interfering. Maybe a rookie mistake since the pack was so thick today? Idk..but it was definitely obvious and the red flag was warranted..in fact she kept swimming after the red flag was given and continued to behave like that..

swimma
Reply to  swimma
5 years ago

..Though, her swim was remarkable

Oldskool
5 years ago

Heartbreaking DQ for Hannah Moore.

CT Swim Fan
Reply to  Oldskool
5 years ago

What did she do to get 2 yellows flags?

Barbotus
5 years ago

Interesting. I’ve watched the video a dozen times and it doesn’t appear to me that the first swimmer to cross the line (presumably Cunha) actually touched the board. She may have but I can’t tell. I’m not that familiar with OW rules, so a question. If a swimmer does not touch the board how is the finish adjudicated?

Tim
Reply to  Barbotus
5 years ago

She didn’t touch but I don’t think you have to. Can someone confirm the rules?

Swimmer
Reply to  Tim
5 years ago

Pretty sure you have to touch. At leas that’s what I heard during the race briefing this morning.

Emily B Klueh
Reply to  Swimmer
5 years ago

You have to touch per the rules and you can see her finger tips touch the black bottom part of the board. It is def better to get your whole hand on the board so it is clearly visible but yes you have to touch the board.

Barbotus
Reply to  Emily B Klueh
5 years ago

Thanks for the clarification. And now I do see that her fingers appear to graze the bottom of the board. Just barely.

Brownish
Reply to  Barbotus
5 years ago

Doesn’t matter how, just touch it, that’s so simple.

swimma
Reply to  Barbotus
5 years ago

you need to touch. it’s so strict that even if a wave wasn’t in your favor at the finish (ie the down curve of the wave) and you couldn’t reach the board and another swimmer were to pass you and touch it they would beat you.

Brownish
Reply to  Barbotus
5 years ago

She definitely touched it at about 8 secs of the video.

Ricardo Ratto
Reply to  Barbotus
5 years ago

To touch the finish means that the swimmer has to have contact with it. And if you deeply observe, her fingers touch the finish wall on the below edge of it, so it’s a valid finish.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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