Brazil's Poliana Okimoto takes gold in open water

Winner Poliana Okimoto Cintra of Brazil, right, and second placed compatriot Ana Marcela Cunha, left, show their medals on the podium after the women's 10km open water race at the World Swimming Championships at De La Fusta venue in Barcelona, July 23, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

BARCELONA, Spain - Brazil's Poliana Okimoto Cintra won the gold medal on Tuesday in the 10km open water discipline at the Port of Barcelona for her second medal at the Barcelona FINA World Championships.

The 30-year-old Okimoto finished the 10km of race in 1:58:19.2 followed by her compatriot Ana Marcela Cunha who finished the four laps of the 2.5 km route in 1:58:19.5.

Their success makes Brazil the first non European country that wins this event at the World Championships.

The Brazilians had already won medals in this year event in Barcelona when on Saturday Okimoto took silver and Cunha bronze at the 5 km race. American Haley Anderson took the gold medal in this discipline.

Cunha was followed by Germany's Angela Maurer who taking the bronze medal in Tuesday's 10km open water discipline, finishing the race in 1:58:20.

She won her third medal in this event while becoming the oldest medallist in the women's open water at the World Championships as she is four days away to turn 38.

Moll de la Fusta, at the Port of Barcelona, hosts the open water swimming events, bringing the competition closer to citizens as it is at the end of Las Ramblas, the most famous street in Barcelona.  173 swimmers out of 2,293 athletes are taking part in the open water competitions.