Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Thursday 18 July 2019

Gold medalist Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil stands with her
medal after the women's 5km open water swim at the World
Swimming Championships in Yeosu, South Korea, Wednesday,
July 17, 2019.
Associated Press
Brazilian Cunha wins

women's 5K open

Australia's Caleb Ewan celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the eleventh stage of the Tour
de France cycling race over 167 kilometers (103,77 miles) with start in Albi and finish in Toulouse,
France, Wednesday, July 17, 2019. water at world titles
Associated Press
A long wait, but finally a Tour GWANGJU, South Ko- happy with that result,"

rea (AP) — Ana Marcela Cunha said. "Today my
win for sprint prodigy Ewan Cunha improved on her strategy was to swim a bit
already impressive career more relaxed in the first
in open-water swimming at half. I was behind the girls
the world championships until the third lap when I
TOULOUSE, France (AP) — A After coming close in pre- and compete in France in with a win in the 5-kilometer started to move up. In the
bit more than a year ago, vious stages with three such circumstances. race on Wednesday. final lap, I just got myself to
Caleb Ewan was devastat- third-place finishes and a "She let me come here and It was the 27-year-old Bra- where I needed to be."
ed to be left out of the Tour runner-up spot, he finally leave my young baby in zilian's fourth gold and 10th Moore was thrilled with her
de France. delivered by edging one of hospital," Ewan said. "It's medal overall at the world tie for the bronze medal at
The Australian sprinter had the peloton's fastest men. the hardest thing I had to championships since 2011. her first world titles.
to watch cycling's biggest The 25-year-old Australian do, to come here to race Cunha, who was consis- "This has by far exceed-
race on TV after finding out beat fellow sprinter Dylan and leave my daughter in tently in the top 10 through- ed my expectations," the
at the last minute that his Groenewegen by a tire's hospital." out the race, pulled away American said. "I knew it
Mitchelton-Scott team was width and was awarded With the race heading in the final 300 meters to would be really rough, just
placing all its bets on Adam the victory after photo fin- into the Pyrenees over the finish in 57 minutes, 56.00 based on watching the
Yates in the fight for the ish. Elia Viviani placed third next four stages, the main seconds, a second ahead other races. The girls went
yellow jersey, and would ahead of three-time world favorites did not take any of Aurelie Muller of France. out really fast, so I tried to
leave Ewan at home. champion Peter Sagan. risks Wednesday and there There was a tie for the stay calm and be a little
A year later, Ewan earned Ewan perfectly timed his were no significant chang- bronze medal: American braver than I wanted to
his first Tour victory by edg- effort after Groenewegen es in the overall standings. Hannah Moore and Leonie be, and it worked out in the
ing a close sprint on Stage launched his effort on the Frenchman Julian Alaphilli- Beck of Germany both fin- end."
11 in Toulouse on Wednes- left side of the road. Ewan pe kept the yellow jersey, 1 ished in 57:58, two seconds She said she was inspired
day. took the wheel of his Dutch minute, 12 seconds ahead behind Cunha in the non- by the performances of her
"I was ready for the Tour rival and pipped him to the of defending champion Olympic event. American teammates in
three of four years ago, line. "It was super hectic," Geraint Thomas. Thomas' Defending 5-kilometer Gwangju.
I always wanted to go said Ewan, who has now teammate Egan Bernal, the world champion Ashley "Watching Haley (Ander-
straight to the top races," completed wins at all three Ineos co-leader, remained Twichell of the U.S. placed son) win a silver medal in
said Ewan, whose daugh- Grands Tours. "I ended up in third place, a further four seventh. the 10k and to see that she
ter was born just before in Groenewegen's wheel seconds behind. Cunha has won the 25-kilo- and Ashley (Twichell) both
the race started. "I've been coming out of that corner. "I've prepared myself for at- meter race three times at achieved the Olympic
held back, I finally got my It's a hard thing being with tacks to take place, wheth- the worlds, but this was her qualification in the 10k real-
chance." Dylan and I knew it was not er from the favorites or oth- first gold at the 5-kilometer ly fired me up," Moore said.
Ewan switched teams to going to be easy to beat er riders who want to gain distance. Her previous best "I just got into this sport last
Lotto-Soudal this season to him. I felt I should let him time," Alaphilippe said. finishes over five kilometers year and I'm kind of learn-
replace veteran German get a bit of a gap so I could The coming days could were bronze medals at Bar- ing from them."
sprinter Andre Greipel, and sprint in his slipstream, and I be crucial in determining celona in 2013 and at Bu- All 54 starters completed
the ambitious youngster could pass him quite quick. the next Tour champion. dapest in 2017. Wednesday's race.
was, at last, promoted to a I'm happy that this time Following Thursday's stage On Sunday, Cunha finished The open water races con-
team leader role this sum- I was a few centimeters and its two first-category fifth in the 10-kilometer tinue Thursday with the 5-ki-
mer in France. ahead of him." climbs, Thomas — an excel- race to earn a Tokyo Olym- lometer team relay. The
But the pressure was big on The win also made up for lent time-trial specialist — pics berth for 2020. At the 25-kilometer races for men
Ewan, a winner of 36 pro- having to leave Austra- will have a chance to gain Olympics, only the 10-kilo- and women, also non-
fessional races — including lia just after the birth of his time on his rivals in the only meter distances for men Olympic events, conclude
stages at the Spanish Vuel- daughter Lily. He thanked individual race against the and women will be staged. the open-water program
ta and Giro d'Italia. his wife for letting him go clock this year. q "In the 10k, I really wasn't on Friday.q