Paris 2024: Gold and Bronze Medals in Open Water Swimming

Kristóf Rasovszky and Dávid Betlehem won gold and bronze medals respectively in the open water swimming competition at the Paris Olympics.

Rasovszky, 27, who finished second in Tokyo three years ago, led almost all the way in Friday’s 10-kilometre race. The other Hungarian in the event, Dávid Betlehem, also had an excellent race and a great finish, crossing the finish line in third place. Rasovszky won the second gold medal of the open water discipline exactly 12 years to the day after Éva Risztov’s victory in London.

The start and finish was at the Alexandre III Bridge, from where the competitors had to swim across the current first under the Invalides Bridge, then under the Alma Bridge and back, for six laps of 1,666 meters and the finish.

As expected, the possible medalists in the 29-strong men’s field (the two Hungarians, defending champion Florian Wellbrock of Germany and the Italian and French challengers) started in a separate bunch immediately after the start.

At the end of the first lap, the top three finishers from Tokyo – Wellbrock, Rasovszky and Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri – were in the lead.

On the second lap, Rasovszky, the reigning world champion in the event, took the lead and gained a few seconds. At the halfway point, Rasovszky was in the lead, with Bethlehem in fourth place in the chasing pack.

Rasovszky started the last lap with a lead of more than four seconds, while Betlehem turned in fourth place.

Rasovszky and Germany’s Oliver Klemet had pulled seven seconds ahead of the others with 800 meters to go. At the finish Rasovszky was able to overtake his German rival and he took a huge victory.

Finally, the icing on the cake was Betlehem’s great swim to cross the finish line in third place, giving the two good friends the chance to do what they had been waiting for – to both finish on the podium in a world individual event.

Rasovszky won the fourth gold medal and Betlehem the fourth bronze for the Hungarian team in Paris, bringing the total to 4 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals.

Result:

1. KRISTÓF RASOVSZKY 1:50:52.7
2. Oliver Klemet (Germany) 1:50:54.8
3. BETLEHEM DAVID 1:51:09.0

László Szokolai, Rasovszky and Betlehem’s coach, said it was a result of perfect physical and tactical preparation that both swimmers were on the podium at the Paris Olympics. “It was the peak, the two medals came in, the boys did the tactics perfectly, they followed the current of the river, they were carried by the water, they cut back sharply in the turns and then swam along the wall where the current is less. In the end, they stayed in the shadow of the boats as long as they could and came out for refreshments.

They executed the tactics flawlessly every lap, which was no easy task as the opponents were trying hard,”

explained the coach.

László Szokolai noted that already on Thursday, after the women’s competition, among whom Bettina Fábián finished fifth, they saw that “everything worked out as expected.”

Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt