2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Monday, May 10th – Sunday, May 23rd
- Budapest, Hungary
- Artistic – Diving – Open Water – Swimming
- Event Site
- 5k Recap
- 10k Recap
After racing to a 5th place finish in the women’s individual 5k at the 2021 European Championships, German Olympian Leonie Beck opted not to race in the 10k event due to non-COVID illness. She is hoping to race in Saturday’s 5km event, where Germany is among the medal favorites after winning silver int he last edition in 2018.
Beck was entered to race the premier 10km open water event and would have had a shot at improving upon her 9th place performance in the event at 2018 Euros. While Beck was the only entrant to not contest the event, neither Russia’s Valeriia Ermakova and Ukraine’s Krystyna Panchishko finished the race.
Beck’s absence from the race was notable considering that she is one of the 10 women who have qualified to race the event this summer in Tokyo. Beck qualified for the Games by placing 9th at the 2019 World Swimming Championships.
2019 World Championships Women’s 10k Open Water Results (Top 10)
- Xin Xin (Chine)
- Haley Anderson (USA)
- Rachele Bruni (Italy)
- Lara Grangeon (France)
- Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil)
- Ashley Twitchell (USA)
- Kareen Lee (Australia)
- Finnia Wenram (Germany)
- Leonie Beck (Germany)
- Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands)
Tokyo 2020 will be Beck’s second Olympic appearance, having raced the 800 freestyle at Rio 2016. There, she posted an 8:47.47 for 25th place.
In Beck’s absence, Sharon van Rouwendaal raced to victory for the Netherlands in the 10k with a 1:59:12.7 while Hungary’s Anna Olasz hit a 1:59:13.0 for second place while Italy’s Rachel Bruni hit a 1:59:15.1 for bronze.
| RANK | SWIMMER | NATIONALITY | TIME |
| 1 | Sharon van Rouwendaal | Netherlands | 1:59:12.7 |
| 2 | Anna Olasz | Hungary | 1:59:13.0 |
| 3 | Rachele Bruni | Italy | 1:59:15.1 |
| 4 | Paula Ruiz | Spain | 1:59:15.5 |
| 5 | Giulia Gabbrielleschi | Italy | 1:59:16.2 |
| 6 | Angélica André | Portugal | 1:59:18.0 |
| 7 | Ginevra Taddeucci | Italy | 1:59:19.1 |
| 8 | Anastasiya Kirpichnikova | Russia | 1:59:19.3 |
| 9 | Lara Grangeon | France | 1:59:21.8 |
| 10 | Réka Rohács | Hungary | 1:59:33.2 |
| 11 | Alena Benešová | Czech Republic | 2:01:05.3 |
| 12 | Ekaterina Sorokina | Russia | 2:02:01.3 |
| 13 | Kata Sömenek Onon | Hungary | 2:02:03.9 |
| 14 | Océane Cassignol | France | 2:02:46.8 |
| 15 | Emily Clarke | Great Britain | 2:03:24.6 |
| 16 | Lea Boy | Germany | 2:03:49.4 |
| 17 | Johanna Enkner | Austria | 2:04:50.9 |
| 18 | Špela Perše | Slovenia | 2:05:14.6 |
| 19 | Julie Pleskotová | Czech Republic | 2:07:35.1 |
| 20 | Eva Fabian | Israel | 2:08:37.9 |
| 21 | Lenka Štěrbová | Czech Republic | 2:10:15.7 |
| 22 | Lærke Toft Ruby | Denmark | 2:11:06.5 |
| 23 | Nefeli Giannopoulou | Greece | 2:11:07.8 |
| Valeriia Ermakova | Russia | DNF | |
| Krystyna Panchishko | Ukraine | DNF | |
| Leonie Beck | Germany | DNS |
Beck is still entered to race on Saturday as a member of Germany’s team 5k contingent along with Lea Boy, Rob Muffels, and Florian Wellbrock. At the 2018 European Championships, Beck, Wellbrock, Sarah Köhler, and Sören Meißner took bronze in the team event, finishing just 0.6 seconds after the Netherlands.