Another medal for Italian cross-country swimming at the 2024 European Championships in Belgrade. Ginevra Taddeucci is second in the 5 km held in the waters of the Ada Ciganlijabehind the usual German Leonie Beck, who scored a double with yesterday’s 10 km. Third place for the Hungarian Bettina Fabian, disappointing eleventh place for Rachele Bruni.
The first to break the deadlock are Beck and the Monegasque Lisa Pou, but you can also immediately see Taddeucci, who appears quite fit, together with the Spanish De Valdes. The four of them make the best impression, while Rachele Bruni seems to be struggling a bit, remaining in the center of the group.
In the central phase it is still De Valdes who sets the pace, with Beck and Taddeucci who remain attached, while all the others seem not to have the right stroke to be able to compete for medals. With Bruni not having the change of pace, the task of keeping the name of the Italian team high is Ginevra Taddeucci, who tries to go for broke.
In fact, in the last kilometre, the Italian tries to make the difference, sprinting before the penultimate mark. De Valdes remains in the wake, but does not have the right strength to pass the Italian, but on the final straight the overflowing condition of Leonie Beck, who takes the lead in the last 80 meters, touching first. For Taddeucci there was second place, with the Hungarian Fabian, who emerged after never having been noticed, closing the podium ahead of the Spanish De Valdes, who ran out of energy at the end.
