Wilson Edged by a Fingernail in 10km Open Water Classic

After two hours and 17 minutes, an inside track and a fingernail was all that separated Belinda Bennett and WAIS scholarship holder Brooke Wilson in the final of the 10km Open Water Swim at the Oceania Swimming Championships.

Bennett, a gold medallist in the 5km on Monday and Wilson from the City of Perth club literally went stroke for stroke for the entire 10km of the women’s race with positioning around the final turning buoy the key for the 18-year-old Bennett.

Coming into the final 200m it was anyone’s race with Bennett turning on the inside with less than 10m to go only to see Wilson push hard to finish alongside her and give the technical officials the job of working out who crossed the line first.

Bennett was awarded the win, and her second gold medal of the meet, while Wilson’s second silver of the meet showed she has the character to become a strong open water swimmer on the international scene.

Swimming Australia Open Water Head Coach Greg Towle said the way both girls swam the race was exactly the sort of performance he was looking for at these championships.

“We spoke about character at the start of the week and to see two girls race so hard, for more than two hours was a real sign that the depth in Australian open water swimming is starting to come through,” said Towle.

– Swimming Australia