2026 Open Water World Cup – Stop 3
- May 1-2, 2026
- Golfo Aranci, Sardinia, Italty
- Championship Central
The second day of action in Golfo Aranci gave us three sets of photo finishes as the men’s and women’s 3k sprint and mixed 4×1500 relays decided its victors.
In the relay, Italy bested its neighbor to the west, France, for the nation’s first 2026 World Cup gold. The foursome of Giulia Berton, Ginevra Taddeucci, Andrea Filadelli and Gregorio Paltrinieri left the Sardinian home crowd cheering as they finished one second ahead of their closest competitors.
In its own right, France followed up a banner session yesterday of a gold, silver, and bronze, with another strong showing in the relay. All three of yesterday’s French medalists – Sacha Velly, Marc-Antoine Olivier, and Caroline Jouisse represented their nation here alongside European Junior Champion Clemence Coccordano. The team took an unorthodox approach of making their relay order FMFM as opposed to the traditional FFMM. This led them leading by a wide margin after the second and third laps, but Paltrinieri successfully reeled in Olivier on the anchor leg.
Placing third was the squad from down under, led off by the seemingly unbeatable Moesha Johnson. She got the Aussies off to a lead, and her teammates proved capable of holding on for a medal spot. Italy’s B team and Spain rounded out the top five.
Johnson returned to the gulf waters later that afternoon for the 3k knockout sprint, where she continued her undefeated individual streak in 2026. In the final 500 meter stretch, she outduelled Magdeburg training partner Isabel Gose for the pole position. Gose will likely leave happy with her silver medal result, as this is her first World Cup of the season after lighting up the pool at the 2025 Short Course European Championships for Germany. Charging in three seconds behind Gose was Spaniard Paula Otero Fernandez. This marked the 22-year-old’s first ever World Cup medal, and it means that her nation will leave with two medals after Angela Martinez picked up silver in the 10k yesterday.
Lea Boy of Germany continues to be a model of consistency as she came in 4th. Right behind her was the quickly-ascending American teenager Brinkleigh Hansen. She matched her 5th place result from the 10k yesterday.
The men’s 3k saw world #1 David Betlehem back on top after an 18th place finish yesterday. The Hungarian national left little to chance, commanding the semifinal event by over three seconds before taking charge of the final 500. The silver medal went to a flag that World Aquatics says has never made an Open Water World Cup podium before: Mexico, courtesy of Paulo Strehlke. 20-year-old Strehlke’s resume includes qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 10k and reaping silver in the 7.5k at the 2022 Junior Open Water Worlds. Now, he has brought his country to new heights on the senior stage of the sport.
Paltrinieri grabbed the 3k bronze, joining Johnson as the day’s only double medalists.
I think Paulo was hard done by to not win the Men’s 3km Knockout, he was in front and in control of a clear race path to the finish 10-15m away when Betlehem swam onto Paulo’s waiste causing Paulo to divert course, this then allowed Betlehem a clear line and he made the most of that line.
Paulo also split the fastest male leg of the mixed relay earlier in the day at 15.33 but big kudos to USA Colin Jacobs who was able to hang onto the feet of Paulo and split 15.36 himself, a pair of monster swims that were only equalled by Sacha Velly splitting 15.35 for France’s 2nd leg and the great Gregorio Paltrinieri splitting 15.34… Read more »
Just realised Nick Sloman split a 15.33 for the Aussie’s on the final leg of the mixed relay also, massive swim for a guy who had his fractured arm in a cast 2 months ago 🙌.
The lead off legs were shorter distance due to course layout. Don’t compare lead off to other legs.
Awesome, thanks for this info that I was unaware of (but now you say it and I think about it, it makes sense).