FINA OWS Grand Prix 2014: Khudyakov (KAZ) and Cunha (BRA) win last race

Sep 8, 2014

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FINA OPEN WATER SWIMMING GRAND PRIX 2014

The seventh and final race of the 2014 circuit of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix was staged on September 7 between Capri and Napoli (36km), in Italy, with the presence of 30 athletes (20 men and 10 women). After more than six hours of effort, Vitalij Khudyakov (KAZ) was the best among men in 6h11m27s, while Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) got the gold in the womenâ€™s field in 6h24m47s.

Besides the victory, this last leg of the series in Italy was also important to determine the overall ranking of the competition. In the menâ€™s race, the minor medals were decisive for Evgenij Pop Acev (MKD, silver in 6h12m39s) and Joanes Hedel (FRA, bronze in 6h12m45s); thanks to these results, Hedel was the overall winner in the menâ€™s category, with 59 points, while Pop Acev (second in 2013 and third in 2011) is the second of the ranking with 51, tied with his compatriot Tomi Stefanovski (9th in Capri-Napoli).

Among women, the Brazilian win did not have much impact on the rankings, but the subsequent athletes finishing the race until the fourth place were fighting for the top honours in the overall ranking. Pilar Geijo, from Argentina, the second in Italy (6h34m31s) is the 2014 winner of the series, with the same number of points (102) than Silvie Rybarova (CZE, and fourth in Capri-Napoli). With her bronze medal in this last race, Spainâ€™s Esther Nunez Morera ensured the second place of the womenâ€™s classification, with a total of 61 points, behind Rybarova and Geijo. Nunez Morera had already been first in 2012, and second in 2010, 2011 and 2013, while Geijo was the winner in 2010 and 2011 and second in 2012.

Medallists in Capri-Napoli (ITA, 36km):
Men: 1. Vitalij Khudyakov (KAZ), 6h11m27s; 2. Evgenij Pop Acev (MKD), 6h12m39s; 3. Joanes Hedel (FRA), 6h12m45s
Women: 1. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA), 6h24m47s; 2. Pilar Geijo (ARG), 6h34m31s; 3. Esther Nunez Morera (ESP), 6h36m59s

Top-3 finishers of the overall ranking of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix:

MEN
1. Joanes Hedel (FRA), 59 points
2. Tomi Stefanovski (MKD), 51 pts
2. Evgenij Pop Acev (MKD), 51 pts

WOMEN
1. Silvie Rybarova (CZE), 102 points
1. Pilar Geijo (ARG), 102 pts
3. Esther Nunez Morera (ESP), 61 pts

FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2014 calendar:
Race 1: February 2 in Santa Fe-Coronda (ARG, 57km)
Race 2: February 9 in Hernandarias-Parana (ARG, 88km)
Race 3: March 29 in Cancun (MEX, 15km)
Race 4: July 26 in Lac St-Jean (CAN, 32km)
Race 5: August 2 in Lac Magog (CAN, 34km)
Race 6: August 23 in Ohrid Lake (MKD, 33km)
Race 7: September 7 in Capri-Napoli (ITA, 36km)