Lurz Wins Season-ending 15K in United Arab Emirates

World 5K and 10K champion Thomas Lurz, a nominee for the 2009 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year, stepped up in distance and won season-ending 15K FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix race over 15 other professional marathon swimmers in Abu Dhabi Marina in the United Arab Emirates yesterday.

Like the shorter distances which he specializes in, Thomas won in a mad dash to the finish over a group of men including Trent Grimsey of Australia who had just beaten Thomas handily a few days ago in a 10K race. "I was taking part in the 15K for the first time and lacked the fitness to finish the race strongly," said Trent to Amith Passela of The National newspaper.

Thomas won in 2:35:45 over second-place Sergiy Fesenko of Azerbaijan and third-place Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia. "I concentrate in the Olympic distances of 5K and 10K, and this was my first over 15K for the year. I liked the conditions and, like everyone else, bided my time to finish strongly at the end."

On the women's side, it was similarly exciting with Anna Uvarova of Russia just outsprinting Angela Maurer of Germany and Linsy Heister of the Netherlands with 2 seconds separating the 3 medalists. Anna turned the tables on her marathon swimming rivals, including Angela who had just out-touched her at the 25K race at the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome.

Photos courtesy of FINA from its 2009 World Swimming Championships.

Men
1. Thomas Lurz (GER) - 2:35:45.10
2. Sergey Fesenko (AZE) - 2:35:49.25
3. Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) - 2:35:57.98
4. Simone Ercoli (ITA) - 2:35:58.45
5. Evgeny Drattsev (RUS) - 2:35:59.20
6. Alexander Studzinski (GER) - 2:36:00.08
7. Saleh Mohammed (SYR) - 2:36:01.46
8. Andrea Volpini (ITA) - 2:36:19.65
9. Tom Vangeneugden (BEL) - 2:36:36.85
10. Gabriel Villagoiz (ARG) - 2:37:14.88
11. Trent Grimsey (AUS) - 2:38:13.74
12. Petar Stoychev (BUL) - 2:38:56.41
13. Rok Kerin (SLO) - 2:39:47.63
14. Christian Reichert (GER) - 2:39:58.41
15. Rostislav Vítek (CZE) - 2:42:13.08
16. Tomi Stefanovski (MKD) - 2:43:21.49
17. Rodolfo Valenti (ITA) - 2:43:23.15
18. Gianni Fontanesi (ITA) - 2:44:51.98
19. Mattia Alberico (ITA) - 2:47:05.87
20. Damien Blaum (ARG) - 2:47:31.09
21. Edoardo Stochino (ITA) - 2:48:14.68
22. Wasim Zwizer (SYR) - 2:52:21.13
23. Fouad Shaikh Bakri (SYR) - 2:59:22.6
24. Majed Al Hammadi (UAE) - 3:08:52.46 (OTL)
25. Islam Mohsen Abdelkawy (EGY) - 3:10:39.77 (OTL)

Women
1. Anna Uvarova (RUS) - 2:47:45.10
2. Angela Maurer (GER) - 2:47:46.56
3. Linsy Heister (NED) - 2:47:47.03
4. Kate Brookes-Peterson (AUS) - 2:47:48.69
5. Nadine Reichert née Pastor (GER) - 2:47:48.85
6. Britta Kamrau (GER) - 2:51:08.73
7. Heidi George (USA) - 2:52:59.98
8. Natalya Pankina (RUS) - 2:53:00.17
9. Camilla Frediani (ITA) - 2:53:02.18
10. Pilar Geijo (ARG) - 2:53:03.98
11. Esther Nunez Morera (ESP) - 2:53:04.62
12. Anastasia Zidkova (AZE) - 2:58:07.80
13. Inha Kotsur (AZE) - 2:58:08.63
14. Nicoletta Simonazzi (ITA) - 3:05:43.09
15. Shereen Mansour (EGY) - 3:07:53.58
16. Marianela Mendoza (ARG) - 3:17:13.56
17. Aurélie Côté (CAN) - 3:30:05.15 (OTL)

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association