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PR 50 - China and Ecuador shine in Setúbal (POR)

The list of the 50 athletes that will complete in the Marathon Swimming events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is now complete after the conclusion of the FINA Qualification Tournament, staged in Setúbal (POR) on June 11-12, 2016. The Portuguese event selected the last 15 men and 15 women that will compete in the waters of Copacabana beach, after the best 10 athletes in both genders were qualified at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan (RUS).

The best in Portugal among men were Lijun Zu (CHN), winner of the competition in 1h52m18s2, followed by Christian Reichert (GER), silver medallist in 1h52m20s4, and by Ivan Enderica (ECU), who clinched the bronze in 1h52m22s6.

The list of the athletes selected for Rio included prestigious names of the discipline, including the reigning Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli (TUN, fifth), experienced Evgenii Drattcev (RUS, fourth), 5km world champion Chad Ho (RSA, 11th), or long distance specialist in the pool Jarrod Poort (AUS, 7th). Two notable absences in this group include Damian Blaum (ARG, 25th) and Evgenij Pop Acev (MKD, 30th).

In the women’s field, the nations in the podium were almost the same, with Xin Xin from China leading operations in 1h55m12s1. The minor medals went to Keri-Anne Payne (GBR, 1h55m12s9) and to Samantha Arevalo (ECU, 1h55m15s9).

The group of the remaining qualifiers in Setúbal did not present special surprises, but rather some disappointment for some pool swimmers. From Chile, Kristel Kobrich, also a long-distance specialist in the pool concluded in 23rd, while Spanish star Mireia Belmonte (qualified for several pool events in Rio) was even slower, touching in the 28th position.

Qualified athletes in Setúbal:

MEN
Direct qualification:
Lijun Zu (CHN)
Christian Reichert (GER)
Ivan Enderica (ECU)
Evgenii Drattcev (RUS)
Oussama Mellouli (TUN)
Richard Nagy (SVK)
Jarrod Poort (AUS)
Yasunari Hirai (JPN)
Chad Ho (RSA)
Ventsislav Aydarski (BUL)

Continental qualification:

Mark Papp (HUN, Europe)
Erwin Maldonado (VEN, Americas)
Kane Rae Francis Radford (NZL, Oceania)
Vitaliy Khudyakov (KAZ, Asia)
Marwan Ahmed Aly Morsy Elamrawy (EGY, Africa)

WOMEN

Direct qualification:
Xin Xin (CHN)
Keri-Anne Payne (GBR)
Samantha Arevalo (ECU)
Chelsea Gubecka (AUS)
Yumi Kida (JPN)
Michelle Weber (RSA)
Joanna Zachoszcz (POL)
Paola Perez (VEN)
Spela Perse (SLO)
Jana Pechanova (CZE)

Continental qualification:

Erika Villaecija (ESP, Europe)
Stephanie Horner (CAN, Americas)
Heidi Gan (MAS, Asia)
Charlotte Webby (NZL, Oceania)
Reem Mohamed Husein Elsayed Kaseem (EGY, Africa)