USA's Haley Anderson sprinted to victory in the women's 5km to capture the first gold medal of the 16th FINA World Championships. Anderson, the silver medallist in the 10km Olympic Marathon at the 2012 Olympic Games in London was always in the lead pack of the race. At the halfway mark Anderson was in fifth position, 3.6 seconds behind Sharon Van Rouwendaal of Netherlands. The Dutch swimmer bravely led for nearly the entire race before Anderson sprinted to the head of the pack in the final 300 metres. Anderson and teammate Ashley Twitchell (USA) swam in the lead pack and always within striking distance. It's a popular strategy for a swimmer to let others lead the race, putting a heavy burden on the leader while conserving energy for the final sprint. Anderson is the third woman to win multiple gold medals in this event. Twitchell finished in 6th place.
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