FINA World Cup Pro Circuit Medalists

Due to the inaugural Olympic 10K Marathon Swim this year, the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup series was shorter than usual. However, there were still races to be swum and prize money to be fought over.

In January, the circuit started out in Santos, Brazil, and then traversed the world to Dubai in March, Setubal, Portugal in June and Quebec, Canada in July. After the Beijing Olympic break, then circuit then started back up again in Shantou, China and just completed a race in Hong Kong.

With two more races on the 2008 circuit - in Singapore and Cancun, Mexico - both scheduled for October, here are the medal winners to date:

Santos, Brazil
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Evgeny Drattsev of Russia
3. Allan do Carmo of Brazil
Women
1. Larisa Ilchenko of Russia
2. Kirsten Groome of USA
3. Angela Maurer of Germany

Dubai
Men
1. Thomas Lurz of Germany
2. Daniil Serebrennikov of Russia
3. Valerio Cleri of Italy
Women
1. Poliana Okimoto of Brazil
2. Aurélie Muler of France
3. Martina Grimaldi of Italy

Setubal, Portugal
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Thomas Lurz of Germany
3. Yuri Kudinov of Russia
Women
1. Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil
2. Angela Maurer of Germany
3. Andreina Pinto of Venezuela

Quebec, Canada
Men
1. Mazen Mohamed Aziz of Egypt
2. Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria
3. Fran Crippen of USA
Women
1. Angela Maurer of Germany
2. Britta Kamrau-Corestein of Germany
3. Lucy Redgrove of Australia

Shantou, China
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Mazen Mohamed Aziz of Egypt
3. Allan do Carmo of Brazil
Women
1. Kristel Kobrich of Chile
2. Larisa Ilchenko of Russia
3. Angela Maurer of Germany

Hong Kong
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Daniil Serebrennikov of Russia
3. Allan do Carmo of Brazil
Women
1. Larisa Ilchenko of Russia
2. Kristel Kobrich of Chile
3. Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil

The proposed 2009 expanded schedule is as follows:

January 25: Santos, Brazil (10K World Cup)
February 1: Santa Fe, Argentina (57K Grand Prix)
February 7: Rosario, Argentina (15K Grand Prix)
February 14: Viedma, Argentina (15K Grand Prix)
March 28: Orienta Bay, Wellington, New Zealand (10K World Cup)
April 18: Sumidero Canyon, Mexico (15K Grand Prix)
April 25: Cancun, Mexico (10K World Cup)
June 20: Capri-Napoli, Italy (36K Grand Prix)
June 27: Setubal, Portugal (10K World Cup)
July (TBD): Ohrid Lake, Macedonia (30K Grand Prix)
July 12: Sabac, Serbia (19K Grand Prix)
July 12: Long Beach,California (10K World Cup)
July 23: Lac St-Jean, Canada (10K World Cup)
July 25: Lac St-Jean, Canada (32K Grand Prix)
August 1: Lac Magog, Canada (34K Grand Prix)
August 8: Varna, Bulgaria (10K World Cup)
August 12: Lake Annecy, France (10K World Cup)
August 15: London, Great Britain (10K World Cup)
August 29: Copenhagen, Denmark (10K World Cup)
September 7: Manhatten, New York (10K World Cup)
September 26: Shantou, China (10K World Cup)
October 4: Hong Kong (10K World Cup)
October 11: Singapore (10K World Cup)
October 17: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (10K World Cup)
October 21: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (10K World Cup)
October 25: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (15K Grand Prix)

Upper photo of Thomas Lurz at the 2008 European Open Water Swimming Championships by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.

Lower photo by Dr. Jim Miller of the FINA Sumidero Canyon race in Mexico.