After more than 3.5 hours of racing, "due to weather conditions, the judges and the security manager have decided to immediately stop the races to protect the athletes and officials," the league said in a statement released Saturday evening.

Already postponed for the first time due to the weather, the 25 km races were finally canceled, "the judges cannot establish final rankings", specifies the press release from the league.

She apologizes to the swimmers "who have worked hard to be ready for this event".

"we did not have any information"

All the swimmers would not have been notified at the same time of the stoppage of the races, creating a very confusing situation.

"We witnessed that the race stopped but we had no information, lamented Julien Issoulié, national technical director of the French swimming team at AFP. The rule is that if the swell is too big, the organizers must inform the coaches, except that this is not at all what happened."

Several swimmers headed for the finish plate, as is the case when a race is cut short, while others stopped.

Usually, the organizers warn the coaches, who pass on the information to the swimmers.

Swimmers are then asked to complete a final lap before reaching the finish plate.

"I was on the eleventh lap when a scooter came in front of me and said to me + stop, it's over, the race is over +, said Frenchman Axel Reymond at the microphone of France Télévisions, broadcaster of European Games. I don't understand anything because I was a little on my own, in the waves it was fine, I was fine, and I was starting to catch up with people. And then I turn around the buoy, I don't see anyone anymore, and a scooter tells me to stop."

The situation immediately made the double world champion of the 10 km in open water Aurélie Muller react.

"Another great promotion of our sport. Comédie Del Arte", wrote the Frenchwoman on Twitter.

Saturday morning, still in Ostia, she finished 6th in the 5 km, in a race won by the Dutch, Sharon Van Rouwendaal, ahead of the Spaniard Maria de Valdes and the Italian Giulia Gabbrielleschi.

On the men's side, Frenchman Marc-Antoine Olivier won bronze, Italians Gregorio Paltrinieri and Domenico Acerenza winning respectively gold and silver in the 5 km.

The 10 km events as well as the 4x1250 m relays (at 4 p.m.) men and women are still scheduled for Sunday (at 10 a.m.) in Ostia, announces the League, "except in the event of extreme weather conditions", which could cause their postponement or cancellation. cancelation.

© 2022 AFP