Florian Wellbrock & Moesha Johnson Enjoy Victory At World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup
Florian Wellbrock and Moesha Johnson claimed the 10k spoils at the opening leg of the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup in Somabay, Egypt.
The event in the Red Sea was the first of five stops on the 2025 edition with Marc-Antoine Olivier and Ana Cunha returning to the water after being crowned overall champions following the 2024 cup finale in Neom, Saudi Arabia.
Wellbrock touched the board first for the second time in as many races following victory in Saudi Arabia which had been his first race since finishing eighth in the 10k at Paris 2024, the German returning to fine form in the open water.
The Tokyo Olympic champion battled strong offshore winds at the season-opener to surge home in the final chute in 2:01:33.60 and with that he also confirmed his spot at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.
He was well ahead of French duo Logan Fontaine (2:01:44.10) and Olivier (2:01:44.40) as the former headed a tight chasing pack.
Nicholas Sloman of Australia missed the podium by 0.90secs in 2:01:45.30 with world and European junior champion Sacha Velly of France rounding out the top five in 2:01:45.60.
Johnson picked up where she left off in 2024 with the Australian now winning three straight races in Hong Kong, Neom and now Somabay.
She has enjoyed a superb 12 months which started with team gold at the 2024 World Championships in Doha before claiming Olympic silver behind Sharon van Rouwendaal in Paris.
The 27-year-old booked her place at the Singapore worlds in July with victory at the Australian Open Water Championships last month.
On Friday, she pulled away from Paris bronze medallist Ginevra Taddeucci down the finishing chute as she touched the panel in 2:06:34.60.
Taddeucci, who was third in the overall standings last year, was exactly three seconds behind in 2:06:37.60 with Chelsea Gubecka making it an Australia 1-3 in 2:06:51.00.
Isabel Gose is best known for competing in the distance events in the pool in which she won Olympic 1500 free bronze, months after a silver and two bronzes at the Doha worlds. In Somabay, she finished just one place off the podium in 2:08:35.90 with Angela Martinez Guillen 0.10 behind in 2:08:36.00.
Ana Cunha, who won the overall women’s title in 2024, was 17th in 2:09:08.70.
Johnson, who is coached by Bernd Berkhahn in Germany, said: “That was a pretty rough race. Tough conditions with a tough pack of girls – all really tough competitors. I don’t have a lot of words for that but tough. Just testing my limits a little bit. I came off a really strong year and I just want to have my own momentum. It was definitely a challenge for myself with that wind. There was not much rhythm with the stroke.”