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The start of something extraordinary

PR 78 - Pop Acev (MKD) and Geijo (ARG), the fastest in Italy

Evgenij Pop Acev (MKD) and Pilar Geijo (ARG) were the winners of the third and last race of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2016, held between Capri and Napoli, in Italy, on September 4. The Macedonian swimmer completed the 36km-race in 6h17m04s, while the Argentinean star touched home in 6h46m34s.

In the men’s field, the only opposition to Pop Acev came from Damian Blaum, also from Argentina, who earned silver in 6h17m19s. The bronze medal went to France’s Bertrand Venturi, arriving more than eight minutes after the winner, in 6h25m49s.

Among women, Geijo also won “alone”, with her most direct challengers being Olga Kozydub (RUS, silver in 6h47m37s) and Ilaria Raimondi (ITA, bronze, 6h50m04s).

The Russian swimmer is the overall winner of the series, after being first in the initial two races of the year, in Lac St-Jean (CAN, July 30) and in Ohrid Lake (MKD, August 20).

The men’s overall ranking was won by Tomi Stefanovski (MKD), only seventh in Italy, but winner in Ohrid Lake and third in Lac St- Jean.

Twenty-eight swimmers from the following 13 countries were present in Capri-Napoli: Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Republic of Macedonia, Russia, Syria and Venezuela.