Olympic round up: Dutch win fifth gold with 10 km open water swimming

DutchNews, August 15, 2016

Sharon van Rouwendaal in action. Photo: AP Photo/David Goldman

Swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal won the Netherlands’ fifth gold medal on Monday by beating off 24 opponents to take the 10 kilometre open water gold. 

The 22-year-old was second in the event at the world championships last year and finished 16 seconds ahead of world title holder Aurélie Muller of France. Muller was later disqualified for hampering Italy’s Rachele Bruni who exchanged her bronze medal for the silver. 

The judges decision meant that Brazil’s Poliana Okimoto won bronze. It is the host nation’s first swimming medal of the Games, and the country’s first ever women’s Olympic medal in the swimming marathon. 

In other events, Dafne Schippers qualified easily for the semi-finals of the 200m, following her disappointing performance in the 100m. 

On Monday afternoon, the Dutch women’s volleyball team will meet South Korea in an effort to win a semi-final place and sailor Marit Bouwmeester has hopes of a medal in the laser radial class. 

The women’s hockey team are also in action on Monday evening as they take on Argentina for a place in the semi-finals.