10 kilometres Open Water, Women

The open water swims were contested in Odaiba Marine Park in the middle of Tokyo, which was also used for the swim portion of the triathlon events. Twenty-five (25) swimmers started from 23 nations, with only Germany and the United States having two entrants.

Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha came to Tokyo having won two golds at the 2019 World Championships, and five golds at Worlds since 2011, although most of them had come in the longer 25 km event, which was not on the Olympic Program. However, she had 11 medals at Worlds, including six individual over 5 and 10K. Cunha’s biggest challengers were expected to be Dutchwoman Sharon van Rouwendaal, the defending gold medallist and a multiple gold medallist at the European Championships since 2014, and American Haley Anderson, silver medallist in the event at London in 2012.

A lead pack of seven swimmers, including Anderson, Cunha, and van Rouwendaal, separated themselves from the field. Also in contention were Germany’s Leonie Beck, who was transitioning from pool distance swimming, and Australia’s Kareena Lee, who was a bit of an unknown.

Cunha was always at or near the lead, which saw the United States’ Ashley Twichell ahead at many of the early checkpoints. At the last split, Cunha led followed by van Rouwendaal with Beck third and Lee fourth, as Twichell and Anderson dropped back over the final legs.

Cunha held on for the gold medal ahead of van Rouwendaal, as Lee finished the strongest to come on for the bronze medal, with Hungary’s Anna Olasz finishing fourth and Beck fifth.