Osisang Chilton produced a master class of distance swimming in powering to a convincing win in the women's 2.5km event and took Palau's three Gold medals in swimming thus far.
Shaking off a bit of stiffness from the 5km held yesterday, she started out in front and led all the way to take the race. Swimming with the field around the first lap of the course, she then lifted her cadence, entering the second leg of the second lap to peel way from the rest of the competitors to win in a very credible 39:05.6.
Sophia Gauran (CNMI) won her second Silver medal in a time of 41:32.7 and was followed by Pohnpei's Keisha Nihleng to give Pohnpei their first swimming medal of the Games.
The emrging confidence of swimming in open water that was evident in the men's race was clear to see in the women's event as competitors battled to overcome their pool swimming strategies and adapt to the grinding work needed to succeed in open water swimming. The mental challenges, particularly overcoming the tide's pull as well as the thought of what else is out there, along with the tactical challenges of choosing your lines without the aid of lane ropes, all contributed toward gaining more confidence.
Last Modified on 24/07/2018 09:58