Haley Anderson Continues Hot Streak, Wins 10K in Cozumel

Read men’s race recap here.

After winning the 5K and finishing second in the 10k race at the United States National Championships last weekend, American Haley Anderson remained hot by winning the 4th stop of the 2015 FINA 10K Open Water World Cup in Cozumel, Mexico on Saturday.

In the process, Anderson beat 2nd-place finisher Ana Marcela da Cunha (1:48:04.00) by three seconds. Cunha was the silver medalist in this distance at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships. Italy’s Aurora Ponsell (1:48:05.00) placed 3rd.

The course remained fast in the women’s race, with Anderson’s winning time of 1:48:01.00 being good enough to win most men’s 10km races, indicating either a favorable current or a short course.

For her efforts, Anderson took home the $2,500 first prize, but there were many swimmers at this race who were swimming for more significant awards: specifically spots at the World Championships.

Australian Selection

Unlike on the men’s side, where there was a slight upset, Chelsea Gubecka came through for the Australian women in 1:48:07.02 for 7th place and as the top Australian finisher.

With the Australians only sending one swimmer to the World Championships in open water for men and women, Gubecka sealed up that spot (later confirmed by Australia).

She finished as the last swimmer in the lead pack, but was still well ahead of the second-best Australian Kareena Lee, who swam a 1:48:42.00. Melissa Gorman, the third Australian to qualify for Cozumel based on her performance at the Swim the Swan event in February, was only 29th and more than three minutes behind Gubecka.

British Selection

The Brits will select two swimmers from the combined results of the BHP Billiton event in February and the Cozumel Grand Prix to represent them in the 10k in Kazan at the World Championships, and those selections will come by coaches’ discretion.

It would be hard for that discretion to turn away Keri-Anne Payne, who both was 2nd overall BHP race in Australia (and top Brit) and was the top-finishing British swimmer in Cozumel, though her result wasn’t great. Payne took 19th place overall in 1:48:52.00, which was 51-seconds back of the winner Anderson.

Things will get tricky for the second selection, however. On Saturday in Cozumel, Alice Dearing took 25th in 1:52:59.01 and Danielle Huskisson took 40th in 1:54:13.00, but their relative finish order is the opposite of what happened in January at the BHP meet. That leaves a difficult discretionary decision for the British coaching staff, but expect them to make that decision this week.

Brazilian Women, Unlike Men, Already Selected

Unlike on the men’s side, the Brazilians have already declared their open water swimmers for this year’s World Championship meets. Da Cunha and 6th-place finisher Poliana Okimoto (1:48:07.01 – 6 seconds behind Anderson) will go to the World Championships, while Caroline Bilich (24th place – 1:51:26.00) will go to the Pan American Games and swim double duty in pool and open water.

Other Notes

  • Besides Anderson, there were two other Americans in this race. Christine Jennings took 22nd in 1:49:56.00 and Emily Brunemann was 30th in 1:51:37.03.
  • The Hungarians performed very well with three finishers in the top 9: Anna Olasz in 4th, Eva Risztov in 8th, and Nikolett Kiss in 9th.
  • Just like the men’s race, the points leaders weren’t present in Cozumel, including Kristel Kobrich, for whom it would’ve been a short trip from her native Chile. Anna Olasz, mentioned above as the 4th-place finisher, came in to the event tied for 3rd and should move up into 2nd-place. Italy’s Rachelle Bruni, having won the tour’s first two stops, will still lead the overall points standings. Anderson’s win moves her into a tie for 3rd as no swimmer has scored in more than two of the four tour stops coming into Cozumel.

Final Results

Women
# Athlete Fed. Time
1 Haley ANDERSON USA
1:48.01.00
2  Ana Marcela DA CUNHA BRA
1:48.04.00
3  Aurora PONSELL  ITA 1:48.05.00
4  Anna OLASZ  HUN 1:48.06.00
5  Cecilia BIAGIOLI  ARG 1:48.07.00
6  Poliana OKIMOTO BRA
 1:48.07.01
7  Chelsea GUBECKA  AUS  1:48.07.02
8  Eva RISZTOV  HUN 1:48.25.00
9  Nikolett KISS HUN
1:48.26.00
10  Isabelle HARLE GER
1:48.27.00
 11  Paola PEREZ VEN
1:48.28.00
 12  Ángela MAUER GER
1:48.30.00
 13  Rachele BRUM  ITA 1:48.30.01
14
Kareena LEE AUS
1:48.42.00
15
Arianna BRIDI ITA
1:48.45.00
16
Charlotte WEBBY NZL
1:48.47.00
17
Martina GRIMALDI ITA
1:48.47.01
18
Zaira CARDENAS MEX
1:48.48.00
19
Keri Anne PAYNE GRB
1:48.52.00
20
Samantha AREVALO SALINAS ECU
1:49.08.00
21
Sharon VAN ROWENDAAL NED
1:49.36.00
22
Christine JENNINGS USA
1:49.56.00
23
Angélica ANDRE POR
1:51.15.00
24
Carolina BILICH BRA
1:51.26.00
25
Finnia WUNRAM GER
1:51.26.01
26
Xeniya ROMANCHUK KAZ
1:51.27.00
27
Jade DUSABLON CAN
1:51.31.00
28
Svenja ZIHSLER GER
1:51.37.00
29
Melissa GORMAN AUS
1:51.37.02
30
Emily BRUNEMANN USA
1:51.37.03
31
Yumi KIDA JPN
1:51.45.00
32
Montserrat ORTUNO MEX
1:52.57.00
33
Liliana HERNANDEZ VEN
1:52.58.00
34
Miki ASAYAMA JPN
1:52.59.00
35
Alice DEARING GBR
1:52.59.01
36
Heidi GAN MAS
1:53.42.00
37
Vania NEVES POR
1.53.52.00
38
Nataly CALDAS ETU
1.54.02.00
39
Samantha HARDING CAN
1:54.12.00
40
Danielle HOSKISSON GBR
1:54.13.00
41
Stephanie HORNER CAN
1:54.56.00
42
Lauren TEGHTSOONIAN CAN
1.55.08.00
43
Silvie RYBAROVA CZE
1:55.35.00
44
Julia AZINO ARG
1:58.20.00
45
Katherine HEMSTREET KARLING CAN
1:59.04.00
46
Zsofia BALAZS CAN
1:59.13.00
47
Sabryna LAVOIE CAN
1:59.14.00
48
Astrid ITURBIDE VEN
1:59.27.00
49
Cindy TOSCANDO GUA
1:59.28.00
50
Victoria MOCK CAN
1:59.31.00
51
Melissa VILLASENOR MEX
2:00.05.00
52
Jane MAC DOUGALL CAN
2:00.07.00
53
Penelope HAYES NZL
2:02.26.00
54
Kaitlin GERVAIS CAN
2:02.31.00
55
Lauren LALUMIERE CAN
2:03.31.00
56
Mahina VALDIVIA CHI
2:04.57.00
57
Gabrielle SOUCISSE CAN
2:05.38.00
58
Tessa CIEPLUCHA CAN
2:06.04.00
59
Marie Charlotte HAMEL CAN
2:09.15.00
60
Maria Angélica ASTORGA CRC
2:09.23.00
61
Deni Guadalupe RODRIGUEZ MEX
2:11.33.00
62
Shelby STENE CAN
2:16.09.00
63
Diana Lucille MARROQUIN MEX
2:16.11.00
64
Cecy COHEN MEX
2:17.06.00
65
Carol Ann SAUDIE   2:17.36.00
66
Heather MAIHAND CAN
DNF
67
Justine RHEAUME CAN
DNF
68
Sarah BOSSELET GER
DNF
69
Caitlin NOLAN CAN
DNF

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swimmer
9 years ago

Sorry I thought ‘selection’ meant the selected/highlighted swimmers/nations of this meet. My bad.

swimmer
9 years ago

You would think Hungary has its own “selection”, but it only appears in the ‘other notes’ one. 🙂
I mean Eva Risztov won 10k gold at the Olympics in London and she has a few more wins and podiums on different WC and EC meets in the recent years. Anna Olasz won the 5K in Noumea, and finished 2nd in the 10K event. Won the EC last year, a WC in Hong-Kong, 2nd place at the Euro 25k, etc. I guess Hungary is still not considered a great swimming nation for some reason. We are ‘only’ placed 4th on the Olympic medal table of all times behind USA, Australia and East Germany:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_at_the_Summer_Olympics#Medal_table

swimmer
Reply to  swimmer
9 years ago

Yes I am butt-hurt 😀

KeithM
Reply to  swimmer
9 years ago

Not that it will make you feel any better but I’ve always considered Hungary one of the great swimming nations, historically speaking. For a land locked country it has a remarkable aquatics culture which is even better underscored in water polo.

marley09
9 years ago

NVM, I see what you did.

marley09
9 years ago

Braden, I think you posted the results of the wrong race. should be…1. USA 2. Brazil. 3. Italy

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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