Open Water European Championships in Rome: Leonie Beck crowns a strong race to catch up with the title

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"European champion is something really cool": Leonie Beck after her title

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VINCENZO PINTO / AFP

Vice world champion Leonie Beck was crowned open water European champion over ten kilometers at the European Championships in Rome.

The 25-year-old, who came second in the World Championships seven weeks ago at the Olympic distance in Budapest, left behind the Italian Ginevra Taddeucci and the Portuguese Angelica Andre in the sea at the Lido di Ostia, practically on her doorstep, after 2:01:13.4 hours.

"European champion is something really cool, that's also my first gold medal in an individual race," said the relay world champion.

“It was pretty hard, very, very wavy.

And I lost the group again, had to catch up again – the same game every time.

But it was really cool and I actually enjoyed it.«

The Würzburg native has been living and training in Ostia for a year.

At the beginning of the race she lost sight of the group and had to fight her way back.

Over 5 kilometers she had missed the podium in fifth place.

Lea Boy finished 13th, Jeanette Spiwoks got out exhausted after a good half of the race.

Previously, relay world champion Oliver Klemet had finished fifth in the men's race after 1:51:04.8 hours, as he had done over 5 km, Ben Langner was 16th.

The races on the beach of the seaside resort just outside Rome had been postponed twice due to strong winds and high waves.

On Saturday afternoon, the 25-kilometer marathon was canceled after four hours due to heavy waves.

After hours of discussion, the European swimming association Len decided in the evening not to count the race.

On Sunday morning the sea was initially calm, men and women started in quick succession.

During the race the wind picked up.

Men without a medal

In the men's relay world champion Oliver Klemet missed a medal over 10 kilometers.

The 20-year-old from Frankfurt am Main, who fell ill with Corona after the World Cup in Budapest seven weeks ago, was fifth in the sea at Lido di Ostia.

The Italian World Cup runner-up Domenico Acerenzo won gold on the Olympic distance.

Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock had given up the planned open water starts after his corona infection and fifth place in the 1500 m freestyle.

Klemet finished fifth over 5 km.

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