Courtesy: LEN
Italy’s Marcello Guidi and Germany’s Lea Boy came first in the men’s and women’s races respectively in the fourth leg of the LEN Open Water Cup in Samorin (SVK). Both won by a really convincing margin.
Crystal clear though a bit cold water (18.2C) awaited the almost 60 participating swimmers in Samorin, the site of the fourth leg in the LEN Open Water Cup. The men’s race kicked off first and for four rounds the leading pack stayed together. Then Italy’s Marcello Guidi and Hungary’s Hambardzumyan Arshak stormed ahead and kept the decision over the first place between themselves.
The young Hungarian – junior world champ last year in the relay – could keep up with the seasoned Italian – currently runner-up in the World Cup overall – for a while, then Guidi left his rival behind and won with a rather convincing gap of 36 seconds. The 19-year-old Hambardzumyan came second, 13 seconds ahead of Poland’s Piotr Wozniak who managed to beat Italy’s 25km European champion Mario Sanzullo.
The women’s race unfolded somewhat similarly. Germany’s queen of the distance, the 2021 European champion and 2022 world silver medallist in 25km Lea Boy left everyone behind for the finish to win comfortably, by 18 seconds. Though the battle for the minor spoils were a lot more exciting as three swimmers rushed towards the panel and at the end, Hungary’s junior world champion Bettina Fabian managed to out-touch Italy’s Arianna Bridi, runner-up overall, by 0.1sec. Fellow Italian Silvia Ciccarella wasn’t too far either, came further 1.2sec adrift.
In the overall, this victory propelled Guidi to first place in the men’s ranks, while Bridi trails by just 50 points to fellow Italian Gabbriella Taddeucci (who skipped this leg) and Fabian has also closed the gap and is ranked 3rd now.
The fifth leg is due in three weeks’ time in Veles, North Macedonia.
𝗟𝗲𝗴 𝟰 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 🏊
Check out the top 10 from the 10km races in Samorin 👀#LENOpenWaterCup | #OpenWater pic.twitter.com/I11UeRSqTM
— LEN – European Aquatics (@LENaquatics) August 19, 2023
LEN Open Water Cup, Leg 4, Samorin (SVK) – Medallists
Men
1. Marcello Guidi (ITA) 1:55:22.9
2. Hambardzumyan Arshak (HUN) 1:55:59.2
3. Piotr Wozniak (POL) 1:56:12.9
Women
1. Lea Boy (GER) 2:07:33.9
2. Bettina Fabian (HUN) 2:07:52.5
3. Arianna Bridi (ITA) 2:07:52.6
Detailed results: https://www.len.eu/sports/open-water/open-water-cup/
Oh that 0.2 degrees Celcius makes such a difference. No doubt many of the athletes would have had their wetsuits unpacked and at the ready, “missed by that much 🤏”.