World Championships Doha: Late Surge Propels Sharon van Rouwendaal To 5k Gold And Open Water Double

Sharon Van Rouwendaal: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
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World Championships Doha: Late Surge Propels Sharon van Rouwendaal To 5k Gold And Open Water Double

Sharon van Rouwendaal came from a body-length down with 150m remaining to steam past Chelsea Gubecka and add the 5km gold to her 10k title at the World Championships in Doha.

Gubecka went past the Netherlands athlete at the start of the second of three laps at Old Doha Port but Van Rouwendaal made a late move on the outside, going on to the Australian’s shoulder before moving away to finish in 57:33.9.

Gubecka – second in the 10k at the 2023 Fukuoka worlds – claimed silver in 57:35.0 with Ana Marcela Cunha in third in 57:36.8, the Brazilian continuing her 14-year medal streak, having made the podium at each World Championships stretching back to 2010.

Katie Grimes was fourth, followed home by Oceane Cassignol, Maria de Valdes, Giulia Gabbrielleschi, Caroline Jouisse, Viviane Jungblut and Angelica Andre.

It was a third world title for Van Rouwendaal who qualified for Paris 2024 with victory in the longer race on Saturday.

From left: Chelsea Gubecka, Sharon van Rouwendaal, Ana Marcela Cunha: Photo courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

“I was focused on the 10k so when I won the 10k afterwards mentally I was done, I was so tired on the weekend.

My body felt still good, I had some problems with my legs the last days but in the swim I felt strong again and I was like ‘okay, let’s push the pace, let’s see what I can do at the finish’.

“I had so much energy left – that is the best.”

The 30-year-old, part of Bernd Berkhahn’s group in Magdeburg, was second in the 2023 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup, edged out by 0.10secs as Leonie Beck claimed the overall title.

But each disappointment has brought lessons as Van Rouwendaal continued:

“I am doing open water since 2014, two years later I became Olympic champ (at Rio 2016) but I didn’t really understand open water since 2019, 20 – like the game and the strategy.

“And World Cups I am always like missing (out) but from mistakes you learn and I miss by one-tenth all the time and it made me so hungry and I wanted to come back stronger than ever.”

Gubecka had to look on as the 10k unfolded having already qualified by virtue of her Fukuoka silver.

Sharon van Rouwendaal: Photo courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

She was up for the battle and she got it!

“I sure did. Sharon was just a little bit ahead of me there but I made sure I tried to stay in that front group knowing that my speeds pretty good, I knew I could give it a really good shake.”

Of the conditions, she said:

“I think in Australia we get a lot of chop and swell. I personally love this sort of stuff and as you saw in the last lap, I thought I’d give it a crack and push that pace a little bit more.

“I just fell short of the finish there but I am just so stoked that I could put in a medal performance.”

Cunha – who qualified in the 10k to make a defence of her Olympic crown in Paris – came back strong in the final stages of the race and said:

“In the last 800m I do what I have in my body so yes I am happy and this for me is very important to continue to swim.

“Now we have qualified for the Olympics and I think this Olympic Games is the most strong you will see (in history).”

Van Rouwendaal led going into the third lap but was unable to shake off the pack including Gubecka, Grimes and De Valdes.

Gubecka made her move and went past the Dutchwoman with De Valdes into going second and Grimes also coming back with the trio filling the top three with 1.1km to go.

Van Rouwendaal and Cunha hit back and with 200m to go, the Australian led from the 2016 and 2020 Olympic champions.

Gubecka and Van Rouwendaal were going stroke for stroke before the latter launched her attack and took the lead, pulling away for victory.

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