Wilimovsky and Ryan’s qualification means that Andrew Gemmell, the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships open-water 10km champion, can not make the U.S. Olympic team in the event. There was little wind and the 70-degree F (21-degree C) water was flat on a 73-degree F (22-degree C) day.
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Both Ryan and Wilimovsky took advantage of their first opportunity to qualify by name for Rio, with Wilimovsky winning gold with a time of 1:49:48.2 and Ryan coming in fourth in 1:50:03.3.
Gold medallists Jordan Wilimovsky poses with silver medallists Ferry Weertman and bronze medallists Spyridon Gianniotis during the medal ceremony.
“The last 2,000 meters I was just hoping I could hold on”, Ryan said.
The Netherlands’ Weertman said navigating the rectangular course near the white-walled Kazan Kremlin was hard because of its sprawling size.
Hixon edged Jahir Marroquin Ocampo of Mexico by 0.95 points for the bronze after rallying from 10th place to earn his first medal at the senior worldwide level. “I got pretty close but not close enough and I’m pretty happy with my second place”. “At the end he (Wilimovsky) was just going insane”. He is the first U.S. swimmer to win the event since 2005. He was a key member of Michigan’s National Championship team in 2013.
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Wilimovsky, 21, and Ryan, 22, become the third and fourth U.S. athletes of any sport – and the first swimmers – to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Results, FINA World Championships 10k Open Water Swimming 1.
