The Hindu : Viola Valli completes 5km hat-trick

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 14, 2003

Sport

Sport - Swimming

Viola Valli completes 5km hat-trick

Barcelona July 13. Viola Valli of Italy on Sunday completed a gold medal hat-trick in the 5-kilometres open water swimming event at the World championships.

Valli, 31, who already won the gold medal 2001 in Fukuoka and 2002 in Sharm El Sheikh, narrowly beat Czech Jana Pechanova for gold in the port of Barcelona in 57 minutes 01.2 seconds.

Pechanova took silver in 57:03.9 and Britta Kamrau of Germany claimed bronze in 57:06.4 minutes. Valli also won a gold medal in the 25km in 2001.

The 5km event marked the opening event of the 10th edition of the World championships, which run until July 27 and features pool swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, water polo and open water swimming. Some 2,300 athletes from 164 countries are competing.

Earlier the opening ceremony was celebrated on Saturday by an elaborate aquatics show and an Olympic-sized parade of nations.

As the record 164 countries' flags were marched around the temporary indoor pool of the Palau Sant Jordi, Iraq — participating in its first major sporting event since before the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein — received one of the biggest rounds of applause and the United States was greeted by the loudest boos.

Before the ceremony, the Spanish crowd welcomed Princess Cristina, daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, as well as former IOC president and Barcelona native Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The Palau Sant Jordi, normally used as a basketball arena, is one of five venues for the two-week competition. Men's and women's water polo, synchronized swimming, diving and distance swimming will take place at other sites.

The parade of nations represented 2,200 participants, from Albania to Zimbabwe. Spain entered last, led by water polo captain and goalkeeper Jesus Rollan holding the nation's yellow and red flag.

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