Van Rouwendaal Claims Gold in Olympic 10k Marathon Swimming, On Thursday, August 8, Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands secured the gold medal in the women’s 10k marathon swimming event at the Paris Olympics. Her impressive late surge in the final stretch clinched the victory, showcasing her endurance and skill in the grueling race.
Van Rouwendaal won with a time of 2h 03m 34.2s, with Australian Moesha Johnson taking silver 5.5 seconds behind and Italy’s Ginevra Taddeucci claiming bronze.
The race took place on the River Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background after water pollution levels were deemed sufficiently safe for competition.
It was the third straight Olympic medal in the event for Van Rouwendaal, the gold medallist in Rio in 2016 and silver medallist in Tokyo, who made her move past Johnson around a pilon coming under the Pont des Invalides bridge.
The 30-year-old Dutchwoman, who was also world champion in Budapest in 2022, never looked back as she powered her way to the finish.
“Swimming is my everything, but so was he. When there were complications in May, he died shortly afterwards. Then my world stood still and I wanted to swim for him one more time,” she said.
It was a crushing blow for Johnson who had led from the half-way mark onwards and was out front with the top three having broken well clear of the field going into the final lap.
But the Australian said she had no regrets about her approach to the final stages when victory slipped from her grasp.
The decision to hold the race on the river produced a glorious spectacle but had caused headaches for organisers.
