PR77 - Lurz wins in Abu Dhabi, but Stoychev gets ninth consecutive title

Some days after assuring his overall victory in the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup, Germany’s Thomas Lurz won the 15km race of Abu Dhabi (UAE) on October 25, the ninth and final leg of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2009. In the women’s event, Anna Uvarova (RUS) conquered her second triumph of the season, after winning the previous race of the series, on August 1 in Lac Magog (CAN).

For Lurz (2h35m45s), this was his first medal in the Grand Prix, after concentrating his energy on successfully finishing the season of the 10km World Cup – in which he won nine out the 12 races. After the German champion, Sergey Fesenko (AZE) crossed the finish line four seconds later, while Vladimir Dytachin (RUS) was third in 2h35m57s.

In the overall rankings, Petar Stoychev (BUL), who finished 12th in Abu Dhabi, confirmed once more his victory in the Grand Prix series – he was gold medallist four times, in Sumidero (MEX), Ohrid (MKD), Lac St-Jean (CAN) and Lac Magog (CAN). It is the ninth consecutive title for the Bulgarian star, after first winning the World Cup series (then still with races in all distances) in 2001!

In the women’s field, Uvarova (2h47m45s) was closely followed by Angela Maurer (GER, second) and Linsy Heister (NED, third). However, none of these swimmers got the overall title of the series: this honour went to Italy’s Camilla Frediani (ninth in Abu Dhabi), winner of three races during the season: Capri-Napoli (ITA), Ohrid (MKD) and Lac St-Jean (CAN).

Medallists in Abu Dhabi (UAE)

Men

Women