Courtesy: LEN Media
The 4th leg of the LEN Open Water Cup in Lake Ohrid saw two athletes earning their first win in the series. Greece’s Athanasios Kynigakis came first among the men while Portugal’s Angelica Andre claimed the title in the women’s race. Angela Maurer, aged 44, was still good enough to clinch a bronze.
Medalists, Leg 4
Men: 1. Athanasios Kynigakis (GRE) 1:47:04.5, 2. Daniel Szekelyi (HUN) 1:47:08.3, 3. Yuval Safra (ISR) 1:47:09.1
Women: 1. Angelica Andre (POR) 1:55:47.9, 2. Ginevra Taddeucci (ITA) 1:55:48.7, 3. Angela Maurer (GER) 1:57:20.0
The men’s battle was narrowed to a three-horse race in the last lap of the 10km race. Kynigiakis, Hungary’s Daniel Szekelyi and Israel’s Yuval Safra rushed away from the others to fight for the medals. The Greek, runner-up in the second leg in France, managed to take some advantage to hit the panel 3.8sec ahead of Szekelyi who just out-touched Safra for the silver.
The women’s race saw a legend of the sport competing. Angela Maurer, owner of 8 World Championship medals (the first and the last were claimed 14 years apart) and two-time European champion entered the event. And just days after her 44th birthday she was good enough to earn a bronze medal!
Though she had no chance for the title as the top two were far ahead of the pack, but the duel of Angelica Andre and Ginevra Taddeucci was spectacular. It was a neck-to-neck fight with the Portuguese taking the winning touch just 0.8sec ahead of the Italian who had to settle for the silver after her gold in Barcelona in the third leg.
The series will finish in the canals of Copenhagen on the last day of the month.
LEN Open Water Cup – Schedule
Leg 1 – Eilat (ISR) – 31 March
Leg 2 – Brive La Gaillarde (FRA) – 23 May
Leg 3 – Barcelona (ESP) – 29 June
Leg 4 – Ohrid (MKD) – 18 August
Leg 5 – Copenhagen (DEN, 6km) – 31 August
