World Championships: Arianna Bridi wins Olympic pass in the 10 km race in Doha

An Olympic pass for the Italia Team has come courtesy of the women's 10 km at the World Marathon Swimming Championships.

In the waters of the Old Port of Doha (Qatar), in fact, Arianna Bridi placed eighth, conquering one of the Olympic quota spots reserved for the 13 best athletes not yet qualified.

It was a moment of immense satisfaction for the athlete from Trento (photo Giorgio Scala and Andrea Staccioli/DBM), marking her first official appearance with the national team since the 2019 Gwangju World Championships, after overcoming years plagued by physical challenges.

Bridi began the race from the back of the field, but successfully closed the gap and joined the small group of leaders, finishing with a final time of 1:57:33.20. Dutch athlete Sharon Van Rowendaal (gold with 1:57:26.80), Spain's Maria De Valdes (silver with 1:57:26.90) and Portugal's Angelica Andre (bronze with 1:57:28.20) made up the podium.

“This 10 km has lasted five years,” said an emotional Bridi at the end of the race. “In Korea I finished 13th just a few tenths of a second from qualifying. Many things have happened in between. My heart has not been working so well. While I am slightly disappointed about missing the podium, as I had hoped for it, today I achieved a dream. This result is a work of art and it is surreal,” concluded the Italian. 

Finishing only in 22nd place, Ginevra Taddeucci missed out on the top positions, and more importantly, the national qualification spots for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, primarily due to a lacklustre final lap.