LEN European Open Water Cup – Leg 3, Barcelona (ESP) – summary

Rasovszky made it again, beat French world champs

Hungary’s Kristof Rasovszky won his second race in the season, just as in last year he came first in Barcelona, ahead of France’s world champions Marc-Antoine Olivier and Axel Reymond. Italy’s Aurora Ponsele won the women’s competition, ahead of Spain’s Paula Ruiz Bravo and another French world champion Aurelie Muller.

The LEN Open Water Cup should be Kristof Rasovszky’s favourite playing ground, so to say, since his winning ratio stands at 7/7, including last season when he clinched the overall title with rarely seen dominance. This year he won in Eilat, skipped Gravelines but was back in Barcelona where he retained his title with another convincing performance.

This time he was challenged by two French greats who excelled a year ago at the World Championships. Together with Marc-Antoine Olivier (gold medallist in 5km and Team, bronze in 10km) and Axel Reymond (25km champion), Rasovszky broke away from the pack in the last lap and he was the one who prevailed in the gruelling finish, gaining a body-length on Olivier.

The women’s race wasn’t less exciting either, here Italy’s Aurora Ponsele managed to go in front at the end and she could touch in first, a second ahead of Spain’s Paula Ruiz Bravo. In the grand tussle for the bronze France’s 10km world title-holder Aurelie Muller used all her experience to capture the medal. Spain’s Olympic and world champion pool swimmer (over 200m fly) Mireia Belmonte made another test in the open water racing, this time she finished 12^th.

LEN Open Water Cup, Leg 3, Barcelona

Men

1. Kristof Rasovszky (HUN) 1:50:30.50
2. Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA) 1:50:51.20
3. Axel Reymond (FRA) 1:51:06.10

Women

1. Aurora Ponsele (ITA) 2:00:37.05
2. Paula Ruiz Bravo (ESP) 2:00:38.85
3. Aurelie Muller (FRA) 2:00:40.60

LEN Open Water Cup – 2018

Leg 1, 25 March – Eilat (ISR)
Leg 2, 31 May – Gravelines (FRA)

Leg 3, 30 June – Barcelona (ESP)

Leg 4, 28 July – Navia (ESP)
Leg 5, 25 August – Copenhagen (DEN)
Leg 6, 9 September – Bled (SLO)

Press release from LEN