World Championships Doha: Logan Fontaine Comes Through At The Touch To Lead Home Marc-Antoine Olivier For French 1-2 In 5k
Logan Fontaine charged through in the final metres to take the 5km and lead home Marc-Antoine Olivier for a French 1-2 at the World Championships in Doha.
Gregorio Paltrinieri was ahead coming into the final straight, having gone stroke for stroke with Olivier, but the lead evaporated as the pack charged with Fontaine coming on the inside to take the touch in 51:29.3.
Olivier matched his 10k silver, 0.03 behind in 51.29.6, with Domenico Acerenza third in 51:30.0 with just 0.7secs separating the first three home.
Kristof Rasovsky – winner of the 10k – was fourth ahead of Paltrinieri and David Betlehem.
Of his winning tactics, Fontaine said:
“I tried to manage it and to stay at the end of the pack and relax 80 per cent of the race.
“After I tried to catch up and catch up and to finish the best I can.”
From left, Marc-Antoine Olivier, Logan Fontaine & Domenico Acerenza: Photo courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
It was Fontaine’s first individual world title and followed his fourth place in the 10k as both he and Olivier booked tickets to Paris 2024.
He said:
“To see two French guys on the podium makes me feel more confident before the relay tomorrow.
“Marc won a medal at 10k and I wanted to do it too.
“It is also a good thing before Paris. So at this moment I feel very cool.
“For this moment, I try to relax a bit and work on the pressure before the Olympics in my home country. I will take that just like another competition.”
It was a sixth World Championship medal for Olivier, who won bronze at Rio 2016, and he too looked ahead to a home Games, saying:
“It is a special thing that we are organising the Olympic Games, so it’s good for this season.
“Now we need to focus on the relay tomorrow because we have a very good team. After the World Championship, we need to be focused on the Olympic Games and try to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.
“Winning a medal before the Olympics is very good publicity for my sport. It will cause a lot of the public to see the races because we have a chance to swim inside the parks. I think it’s one of the sports where people want to see the open water.”
With a nod to the depth of quality in the field, Acerenza added:
“I pushed a lot: in the last 200m I gave my all but in the last 20m I was dead!
“I gave everything and I was very, very happy!”
Domenico Acerenza: Photo courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
He added:
“I’m very satisfied with the result because getting a medal in the World Championships is always something big, but I want to be the best in every race.
“I feel good because I gave the race my all, and I’m very happy for this. I will meet with my coach, and we will look at areas we need to work more on, and hopefully the result will be better next time.”
- Link to World Championships results
- World Championships Doha: Sharon van Rouwendaal Clinches Open Water Title & Ticket To Paris
- World Championships Doha: Kristof Rasovszky Takes 10k Title With Final Lap Surge
- World Championships Doha: Late Surge Propels Sharon van Rouwendaal To 5k Title
Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock set a searing pace, splintering the field, on the first lap and by the end of the second he was going stroke for stroke with Paltrinieri with Olivier third and Rasovszky, Betlehem, Acerenza and Fontaine in the second string behind the pair.
Wellbrock and Paltrinieri were trading the lead with neither man able to make a lasting break as Olivier made his move, looking to come between the two.
Olivier moved up on the outside of Paltrinieri, the Italian breathing to his right and eyeballing the Frenchman with the pair synchronised.
Olivier inched ahead out of the final turning buoy but Paltrinieri wouldn’t let up and led into the shoot before Fontaine made his charge for gold.