The Italian team won the FINA Championship Trophy at the 6th edition of the FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships held in Roberval (CAN), from July 17-22, 2010. Italy outscored the USA by five points, 116 to 111. The team from Russia placed third with 62 points.

On July 17, Martina Grimaldi got the first medal for Italy, the gold in women’s 10km race, in front of her teammate Giorgia Consiglio. Australia’s Melissa Gorman was third of the Olympic-distance event. The day after, another Italian victory, this time from Valerio Cleri in the men’s 10km – he was followed by two Russians, Evgeny Drattsev (second) and Vladimir Dytchin (third).

For the 5km events, the Italian saga continued, with another silver medal for Consiglio. This time, she lost to US Eva Fabian, and was followed by Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha. In the men’s field, that was only one of the two (out of six) races without Italian swimmers getting medals: the winner was the favourite Thomas Lurz (GER), followed by Drattsev (second silver), and by another American, Francis Crippen.

The longest (25km) races of the programme were held in the last day of the championships. Among women, the podium was totally European, with Linsy Heister (NED) getting the gold, followed by Margarita Cabezas (ESP, second) and by Celia Barrot (FRA, third). In the men’s event, Alexander Meyer (USA) was the best, while Cleri got the silver and veteran Petar Styochev (BUL) earned bronze.

MEDALLISTS in Roberval:

Men’s 5 km: 1. LURZ Thomas (GER) 57:42.6; 2. DRATTSEV Evgeny (RUS) 57:44.1; 3. CRIPPEN Francis (USA) 57:46.5
Men’s 10km: 1. CLERI Valerio (ITA) 2:00:59.3; 2. DRATTSEV Evgeny (RUS) 2:01:00.6; 3. DYATCHIN Vladimir (RUS) 2:01:03.0
Men’s 25km: 1. MEYER Alexander (USA) 5:32:39.3; 2. CLERI Valerio (ITA) 5:32:40.4; 3. STOYCHEV Petar (BUL) 5:33:50.2

Women’s 5 km: 1. FABIAN Eva (USA) 1:02:00.9; 2. CONSIGLIO Giorgia (ITA) 1:02:01.0; 3. CUNHA Ana Marcela (BRA) 1:02:02.6
Women’s 10km: 1. GRIMALDI Martina (ITA) 2:05:45.2; 2. CONSIGLIO Giorgia (ITA) 2:05:57.4; 3. GORMAN Melissa (AUS) 2:05:57.9
Women’s 25km: 1. HEISTER Linsy (NED) 5:52:13.0; 2. DOMINGUEZ CABEZAS Margarita (ESP) 5:55:59.2; 3. BARROT Celia (FRA) 5:57:02.8