Battling And Winning Around The Globe

Thomas Lurz of Germany and Poliana Okimoto of Brazil did it again - winning the Hong Kong leg of the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup on Sunday. These two mighty warriors are on a roll as they have traveled the globe, truly exerting their dominance in Europe, in America and in Asia. It is especially impressive when one considers that their wins have been a matter of a few seconds in races that last two hours.

Thomas (shown above after winning the world championships in Rome) and Poliana have been remarkable on their current win streaks as they have had to eat different foods, stay in different hotels, fight jet lag, race in different venues under different conditions in different countries. It has not been easy, just the results have been the same.

The final results from Hong Kong:

1. Thomas Lurz (GER) 1:58:22.5
2. Christian Reichert (GER) 1:58:24.3
3. Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) 1:58:24.4
4. Fran Crippen (USA) 1:58:24.5
5. Michael Demitriev (ISR) 1:58:27.4
6. Evgeny Drattsev (RUS) 1:58:29.6
7. Allan Do Carmo (BRA) 1:58:40.5
8. Daniil Serebrennikov (RUS) 1:59:31.0
9. Petar Stoychev (BUL) 1:59:45.5
10. Alexander Zuev (RUS) 2:00:38.8
11. Rok Kerin (SLO) 2:00:47.8
12. Kirill Abrosimov (RUS) 2:00:59.3
13. Barton Wells (USA) 2:09:43.2
14. Ling Tin Yu (HKG) 2:10:43.6
15. Lee Yeung (HKG) 2:10:59.1
16. Lee Man Tim (HKG) 2:13:09.6
17. Wong Yat Fei (HKG) 2:15:03.2
18. Petrus Johannes Hartog (NED) 2:15:16.2
19. Yim Pak Yu (HKG) 2:15:27.8
20. Chan Tsz Ho HKG 2:20:27.8
21. Lee Ho Yat (HKG) 2:21:54.5
22. Chan Tsz Tsun (HKG) 2:22:42.5
23. Cheung Pak Kiu (HKG) 2:25:31.7
24. Yuen Yat Ho Marcus (HKG) 2:26:20.2

1. Poliana Okimoto (BRA) 2:07:18.4
2. Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) 2:07:23.9
3. Swann Oberson (SWI) 2:07:25.4
4. Angela Maurer (GER) 2:07:25.6
5. Nadine Reichert (GER) 2:07:27.8
6. Karla Sitic (CRO) 2:07:28.7
7. Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) 2:07:28.6
8. Anna Uvarova (RUS) 2:07:32.4
9. Maria Bulakhova (RUS) 2:07:35.5
10. Alejandra Gonzalez (MEX) 2:07:45.9
11. Heidi George (USA) 2:08:21.6
12. Odette Saldivar (MEX) 2:09:59.5
13. Ekaterina Zhdanova (RUS) 2:10:11.9
14. Tang Wing Yung Natasha (HKG) 2:11:35.7
15. Pamela Engel (BRA) 2:11:36.3
16. Anastasia Zhidkova (AZE) 2:11:40.0
17. Chan Ching Man (HKG) 2:28:02.5
18. Cheng Yuen Yue (HKG) 2:29:22.6

Photo of Thomas Lurz by Universal Sports.