NOS Sport•vandaag, 09:34
Van Rouwendaal swims in the Seine to second Olympic gold medal
Sharon van Rouwendaal has won gold in the 10 km open water swimming at the Olympic Games in Paris. She defeated Moesha Johnson (Australia) and Ginevra Taddeucci (Italy) in the much-discussed Seine with a firm and well-timed final sprint.
It is Van Rouwendaal’s third Olympic medal in the 10 kilometers. In Tokyo in 2021 she won silver and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 she won gold, just like today. Never before has an athlete won gold twice in Olympic open water swimming.
ReutersSharon van Rouwendaal is happy
“This is very special,” Van Rouwendaal said shortly after the competition. “In May my world collapsed a little when my dog died. I wanted to swim one more time, also for him. Give everything one more time at the Games.”
Swimming in Seine
There was a lot of talk about swimming in the Seine during these Games. The water was too dirty for a long time, because a lot of dirty water had flowed into the river due to heavy rain showers in Paris.
Until shortly before the race, the water quality had to be measured. Eventually it was concluded that the Seine was clean enough for the 10 kilometers.
Van Rouwendaal: ‘The world collapsed a bit, nothing was important anymore’
Van Rouwendaal did dive into the water yesterday for a reconnaissance. As a preventive measure, she was given antibiotics to prevent damage from bacteria in the water.
Such a reconnaissance is especially important to get a grip on the current in the course. Van Rouwendaal was therefore at ease in the river. A number of opponents skipped yesterday’s training and had more difficulty making the right tactical choices today.
Dominant
Van Rouwendaal’s start was not very impressive, but after a lap of swimming it started to run. For a long time she took the lead and set the pace.
The reigning Olympic champion, Brazilian Ana Marcela Cunha, was unable to keep up. Another favorite, Leonie Beck from Germany, soon lost touch.
ReutersSharon van Rouwendaal is the first to tap
Van Rouwendaal swam in front with Johnson and Taddeucci, who benefited from the current in their backs. Cunha fought the entire race to still reach the leading group.
In the final stages of the race, Van Rouwendaal distanced herself from Johnson and Taddeucci. She found the most favourable line, encountered the least resistance from the current and took the gold.
