German marathon swimmer Alexander Studzinski won the 31st Ohrid Swimming Marathon on Saturday. Studzinski swam the 30 kilometer Klime Savin track in 5 hours, 15 minutes and 14 seconds, beating out six other swimmers who were neck and neck in the final stretch.
Macedonian swimmer Evgenij Pop Acev was less than a second behind Studzinski, and third placed, Guillermo Bertola from Argentina was two seconds behind.
Italian swimmers dominated the women's competition, wtih Barbara Pozzobon setting an exceptionally good result with 5 hours, 15 minutes and 51 seconds. Second placed was Alice Franko and Martina Grimaldi, all from Italy, was third.
"This was one of the most exciting races ever in the history of the Ohrid marathon. I'm not disappointed in the result at all. Studzinski was stronger in the finish and had more energy", said Pop Acev after the finish at the Ohrid harbor. The 11 points he won with the second place finish, he remains best placed in the FINA Grand Prix series of marathons before the final Capri - Naples race on September 3rd.
Competitors swam the length of lake Ohrid, from the monastery of St. Naum at its southern end to Ohrid in the north.
