Chelsea Gubecka puts team ahead of health in 10km marathon

AUSTRALIAN rookie Chelsea Gubecka doesn’t care if she ends up in hospital after swallowing mouthfuls of water during a brutal 10km open water race.

TEENAGE Australian rookie Chelsea Gubecka doesn’t care if she ends up in hospital after swallowing mouthfuls of water during a brutal 10km open water swimming race at Copacabana beach today.

Gubecka, 17, finished a highly respectable 15th in the torturous 10km open water race swam adjacent to the picturesque Copacabana coastline that just seven weeks ago made international headlines when a mutilated dead body washed up on the shore.

Water quality issues have plagued the Rio Olympics but today’s ocean looked in pristine condition as Gubecka put in an admirable performance with the most of the Australian swimming team on the shore cheering her home.

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“It was rough and tough and I swallowed a lot of water but it was a great swim, great course and just a good bunch of girls to race against,” Gubecka said.

“To be honest I’m not too worried (having swallowed water), I don’t get too sick.

“I’ve finished racing now so whatever happens, happens. If I end up in hospital whatever.

“I’ve raced at an Olympics and that’s unreal but I’m sure I will be fine and we’ve got plenty of protocol under the belt to make sure that I’m healthy and make sure it’s all safe for me.”

It was a controversial finish to the race, with France’s Aurelie Muller disqualified for unsportsmanlike behaviour when she swam over the top of Italy’s Rachele Bruni in the sprint finish for the silver medal.

Sharon Van Rouwendaal (1hr:56min:32.1 secs) was the clear winner, but Bruni (1:56:49.5) was promoted to silver and Brazil’s Poliana Okimoto (1:56:51.4) awarded the bronze medal.

Gubecka kept with the leaders in the opening half of the race but couldn’t lift with them as the pace picked up. She eventually finished 15th in 1:58:12.7 but will leave Rio confident she can improve over the coming years ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Chelsea Gubecka is all smiles after the women’s 10km swim.

“I’m the youngest in the field by a fair bit so all these girls are nearly twice my age,” she said.

“It’s pretty cool and pretty special to be part of this and part of the Australian team and being able to race some of these older girls and gain experience at an Olympic Games so early is just incredible.

“Being 17 now and an Olympian is just something you dream of. You don’t really truly believe it’s going to happen, but everyone has got that dream and I just happened to live it right now.

“I held in for as long as I could, 15th or wherever I came I’m pretty stoked for my first Olympics and again being so young. These girls are women and hopefully I’m still gaining that experience and knowledge as I go through.

“If I make another team maybe next year I can do well at worlds or by 2020 really prove myself up to the top.”

Originally published as Chelsea Gubecka puts team ahead of health in 10km marathon