2016 EUROPEAN OPEN WATER SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Hoorn, Netherlands
- July 10th-14th, 2016
- Full meet results
Italy’s trio of Rachele Bruni, Simone Ruffini and Federico Vanelli pushed the pace in the team 5K at the European Open Water Championships, besting the field by more than half a minute for gold.
The continues a hot streak for Bruni, who tied for a share of the women’s 10K title on Sunday. It also caps a rise by Vanelli as the meet progressed. Vanelli just missed the medals with a 4th-place finish in the men’s 10K, and rose to 2nd in the 5K Tuesday.
Ruffini was 9th behind Vanelli in that 5K.
Bruni has now been a member of all four Italian teams to win this team 5K event at Euros since the event began in 2008.
The Italian crew went 55:59.3, topping Germany (56:37.0) by almost 38 seconds.
Germany’s team of Finnia Wunram, Andreas Waschburger and Rob Muffels took home the silver. The Germans were the team champions at the World Championships last summer, but only Muffels returned from that team to compete here. Christian Reicher and Isabelle Haerle both skipped this event at Euros in preparation for Olympic appearances in about a month. In their places were Wunram and Waschburger, who filled in valiantly for silver.
Hungary’s trio of Eva Risztov, Mark Papp and Daniel Szekelyi were third in 56:42.6, about five seconds back of the Germans.