The Seine hosted the final marathon swimming event on 9 August, with the men’s Paris 2024 10k race ending in gold for Hungary’s Kristof Rasovszky, the first for his country in this event.
Silver went to Germany’s Oliver Klemet, with bronze going to another Hungarian swimmer, David Betlehem.
For Rasovszky, the race was more than just a competition — it was a chance for redemption. After narrowly missing out on the top spot in Tokyo 2020 three years ago, the Hungarian swimmer came to Paris with a singular focus: to claim the gold that had eluded him.
And he did so in emphatic fashion, leading the race from the 6.6km mark and never looking back. The strong currents of the Seine became his ally as he surged forward with each stroke, the iconic Eiffel Tower standing as a silent witness to his pursuit.
Preparation was key to Rasovszky’s victory. Training in the Danube River back in Hungary, where the currents are notoriously strong, had prepared him well for the challenges of the Seine. “I was prepared for this,” Rasovszky said after the race.
“Yesterday, when I saw Sharon van Rouwendaal [the Dutch swimmer who won gold in the women’s 10km] winning, I thought this was a sign because she was second in Tokyo, the same as me. I had to push really hard, but I knew I could do it.”
Germany’s Klemet posed the biggest threat. As the final lap approached, Klemet closed in on Rasovszky, his powerful strokes eating away at the Hungarian’s lead. But Rasovszky, with his heart set on gold, refused to be overtaken. In a thrilling sprint to the finish, he touched the pad at 1:50:52.7, a mere 2.1 seconds ahead of Klemet, who claimed the silver.
“It means everything,” Klemet said, reflecting on his achievement. “We trained the whole season for this, and the last three years since Tokyo. I just wanted to win a medal here. We did a good job analyzing the venue and the current, and it paid off.”
While Rasovszky basked in the glory of his gold medal, another Hungarian swimmer quietly made history of his own.
Betlehem, a close friend and training partner of Rasovszky, secured the bronze, making this the first time two Hungarian athletes have stood on the podium in men’s marathon swimming at the Olympics. The two compatriots embraced after the race.
“It means a lot,” Rasovszky said. “In the last few years, we trained a lot together and we are really good friends. Maybe more than friends — he is like my little brother. I’m really happy he could come on the podium with me.”
The race also marked the end of an era for Florian Wellbrock of Germany, the reigning Olympic champion from Tokyo. Wellbrock, who had led the race in its early stages, faded in the final lap, ultimately finishing in eighth place.
But for Rasovszky, this was his moment. With two Hungarians on the podium and a gold medal around his neck, the Seine glittering under the Parisian sun, he knew that this victory was not just a personal triumph but a symbol of Hungary’s rising dominance in open-water swimming.
Rasovszky’s journey from silver in Tokyo to gold in Paris was complete.
