| Yuri Kudinov won the 25-kilometer marathon for the fourth time The author of the most striking victory among open water swimmers was Yuri Kudinov, who was the first marathon runner to win the 25 km swim for the fourth time in a row. Even before the start, the Russian was called the main contender for the “gold” of the world championship, and nevertheless, Yuri will remember the Barcelona Marathon with special pleasure.
Everyone was familiar with Kudinov’s tactics. From the first meters of the distance he took the lead and finished first in splendid isolation. This time the “trick” didn’t work. Several swimmers immediately clung to the leader and did not allow him to break away from the group. Among those joining Kudinov was the second Russian who participated in the marathon, Evgeniy Koshkarov.
Then events began to unfold completely differently from the planned scenario. Two French swimmers unexpectedly took the lead. Unlike the Russians, the French, who had become familiar with the “course” in advance, swam part of the distance close to the shore, where they did not encounter an oncoming current, and spent much less energy than the other swimmers. Panic arose in the camp of the Russian team. They started talking about the fact that our guys are not ready and they need to be removed from the competition. It is unthinkable to make up a six-minute gap over 25 km. Thank God they didn't take it off. Koshkarov and Kudinov rushed to catch up with their rivals, and they succeeded, despite the fact that Kudinov, who was slightly behind Koshkarov, had to fight not only with sea waves, but also with the “artificial” ones created by the escort boats. Almost at the finish line, the three-time world champion caught up with the peloton and took the lead in the last 100 meters.
It seemed that victory was just a stone's throw away. But after 50 meters, the Spaniard David Meka and the Bulgarian Peter Stoychev, swimming nearby, began to converge, not allowing the Russian, who found himself in the middle, to go ahead. Each of this trio theoretically had a chance and right to win, because the results of the swim were determined only by repeatedly viewing the photo finish. True, the Spaniards were quick to immediately declare their compatriot the winner. But you can’t argue with the facts: Kudinov was the first. The Bulgarians, dissatisfied with this decision, filed a protest, which was not satisfied. Stoychev is third behind the Russian and the Spaniard. Yuri Kudinov won a gold medal and became the most titled marathon runner in the world. His finishing time was 5 hours, 2 minutes and 20 seconds! Evgeniy Koshkarov finished seventh.
Then the women set off on a 25-kilometer sea route. There were no surprises here. Edith van Dijk from the Netherlands was the first to finish the marathon, accompanied by German swimmers. The fourth place of 14-year-old competition debutant Ksenia Popova was a pleasant surprise for our team. The young Russian woman completed the entire distance and finished behind the leaders, while even experienced swimmers fainted after the swim and needed the help of doctors.
The second gold medal on Saturday was won by the Russian synchronized swimming team. The gloomy predictions that after winning a silver medal in solo and gold in a duet we would be condemned did not come true. Although the Russians performed with minor blemishes, they adequately beat their main rivals, the Japanese. The Russian team's program was technically more complex and performed at fantastic speed, which was noted by the judges.
A day earlier, the duet of two Anastasias - Davydova and Ermakova - also became “golden”. A whole point separated the Russians from the Japanese Miyu Tashibana and Miho Takeda, which is an impressive figure for synchronized swimming. We can already say that Davydova and Ermakova have created their own style in synchronized swimming - sports. Their performances are always distinguished not only by their artistry and emotionality, but also by their high tempo of performance and richness of complex elements. It was not for nothing that even the patriotic Spanish audience, rooting for their girls, gave the Russians a standing ovation.
Last weekend was not very fruitful for awards for our divers. Only in the women's three-meter springboard competition was Yulia Pakhalina able to earn a silver medal, while Vera Ilyina was only fourth. The men in the ten-meter platform diving were left without medals. Tournament debutant Gleb Galperin, the only Russian to make it to the finals, ended up seventh. Olga ERMOLINA |
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