Meyer Wins 25K Open Water World Title
7/22/2010
Team USA’s Alex Meyer (Ithaca, N.Y.) won the men’s 25K Open Water World Championship title Thursday in Roberval, Quebec. All four 25K swimmers on the U.S. Open Water Worlds Team, including Joe Kinderwater (Lancaster, Pa.), Haley Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif.) and Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill.), had a strong showing in the event, finishing in the top 10 on both the men’s and women’s side.
The overall team championship trophy at the 2010 FINA Open Water World Championships went to Italy, who earned a total of 116 points. Team USA was a close second with 111 points. Russia placed third with 62 points.
Meyer, who was competing in just his second 25k swim of his life, beat the world 10K and 25K champion Valerio Cleri of Italy in a sprint over the last 50 meters. Meyer finished in 5:32.39.38 and Cleri finished in 5:32:40.40.
"Valerio [Cleri of Italy] was pretty far in on the last backstretch. We were taking a different line to the last buoy and it would have been a perfect opportunity for me to go. But, I was tired," Meyer said after the race.
"I was confident in my sprint, so I held off toward the end. As we came around the last turn buoy, we were sprinting and he cut me off. But I knew that never works. I have been on both sides of that equation and the guy behind always wins.
“He pushed me so far left and I came to a dead spot and swung the other way. I knew he was going to try to cut me off again, so I went really wide. I have never sprinted that fast in my life," Meyer added.
Meyer’s U.S. teammate Joe Kinderwater (Lancaster, Pa.) also had a strong swim in the 25K race, placing 7th with a time of 5:37:32.
On the women’s side, National Teamers Anderson and Hanson both had excellent swims in the 25K and finished 4th and 6th, respectively. Anderson’s final time was 6:00.15.23 and Hanson’s time was 6:03.15.75.
Complete results are available at www.powerhousetiming.com.