It was for a fraction of a second that Ana Marcela Cunha, 31, failed to secure her qualification for the Paris Olympics this Friday (14th). In the 1st final of the women’s 10 km Water Marathon, the Brazilian closed the dispute in fourth position.
The victory went to the German Leonie Beck, who took off in the final part and easily won the dispute in Fukuoka, Japan. Chelsea Gubecka, from Australia, crossed in second, while the American Katie Grimes completed the podium.
Grimes and Ana Marcela reached the finish line practically together, but the American won by a tenth of a second, in a decision confirmed only in the photograph.
Recovered from surgery on her left shoulder, Ana Marcela Cunha was looking for her first gold medal in the 10 km event at the World Championships and, of course, qualifying for the 2024 Paris Games.
In the competition in Fukuoka, the first three placed in the 10 km race guarantee the Olympic vacancy.
In addition to this Friday’s race, the Bahian will participate in two other events in Fukuoka, the 5 km, on the 17th, and the 4×1,500 m mixed relay, on the 19th.
Among men and women, Ana Marcela Cunha is the greatest medalist in the history of the Worlds, with 15 podiums in total.
