World Championships: Moesha Johnson Becomes First Australian To Win 10k Title On Monumental Day In Singapore
Moesha Johnson wrote a unique line in history as she became the first Australian to win a world 10k title with victory in Singapore.
The Olympic silver medallist went ahead on the third of six laps at Sentosa Bay and dictated the race thereafter to come home in 2:07:51.3.
With victory she became the first Australian – female or male – to win the world title as she added individual gold to her Doha 2024 team crown, two years after the quartet won bronze in Fukuoka.
It followed teammate Kyle Lee’s bronze in the men’s event when he became the first Australian man to reach the podium in the individual 10k event.
Johnson’s victory came a year after she finished second in Paris behind Sharon van Rouwendaal, her friend and training partner with the pair coached by Bernd Berkhahn in Magdeburg. It means the men’s and women’s titles in Singapore were clinched by swimmers steered by Berkhahn with Florian Wellbrock having claimed the former with a masterclass in the opening race of the World Championships.
Paris bronze medallist Ginevra Taddeucci of Italy was second in 2:07:55.7 as she claimed her third world medal and first in the individual with Lisa Pou of Monaco third in 2:07:57.5 as she made her first trip to the individual podium, seven years after European team bronze at Glasgow 2018. Spanish duo Maria de Valdes and Angela Martinez Guillen were fourth and fifth respectively.
In the first day of open water competition, four of the six available medals were claimed by European swimmers and two by Australians.
Van Rouwendaal is one of three women to have won two world titles in the 10k but she isn’t competing in 2025 and instead was watching on in Singapore as her friend succeeded her as world champion. Once Johnson had won the title, the pair embraced with Van Rouwendaal in tears.
The women’s race was due to have taken place on Tuesday morning but it was postponed due to e-coli levels and poor water quality. Instead, it was rearranged for Wednesday morning following the men’s event although they were subsequently pushed back to the afternoon.
Ginevra Taddeucci, Moesha Johnson & Lisa Pou (left to right); Photo Courtesy: World Aquatics
The water was 30-plus degrees – 30.4 to be precise for the men’s race – with 31 being the upper limit set out by World Aquatics. The air temperature was also in the 30s with the water conditions pretty choppy and the sun creating glare on the water which became more pronounced as the day wore on. Fifty-three women completed the event within the 30-minute cut-off time and 14 withdrew during the race as the conditions took their toll, among them two-time world team champion Lea Boy and Caroline Jouisse, who was eighth in Paris last year.
Johnson’s Australia teammate and Fukuoka 2023 silver medallist Chelsea Gubecka surged ahead at the start although her lead was short-lived. Pou and Taddeucci were swiftly into the mix with Johnson back in 13th place.
Taddeucci led after lap two while Johnson picked off the women ahead of her to move second. Come the halfway point and Johnson had taken the lead followed by Taddeucci, Maria de Valdes, Ekaterina Sorokina, Pou and Barbora Pozzobon.
Johnson embodied composure as she controlled the race at the head of the field as the pack became thin and drawn out. Her tactical expertise enabled her to dictate the pace and direction with the pack resembling a snake in the overhead shots on TV.
The wind dropped slightly and the conditions cooled a little as Johnson led going into the final feed, 1.6secs ahead of Taddeucci with Pou, De Valdes and Angela Martinez Guillen following.
With the tempo increasing, Johnson dictated the line and eventually pulled away a little in the closing stages to touch the pad 4.4secs ahead of Taddeucci and Pou.
Johnson said in a post-race interview with World Aquatics: “Those conditions are indescribable. Unless you’re out there, it’s really hard to describe what we went through. I think that shows how incredible this field of girls are and to the men as well – that was pretty scary to watch them go out in 33-degree heat knowing we were next to come.”
Of the schedule change, the 27-year-old said: “That was really interesting yesterday. We got through Paris and the River Seine with no schedule changes and to come into this none of us were really expecting ay postponements, let alone two. So yesterday I was quite calm but today the nerves were definitely there this morning, having to wait until the afternoon is really, really tough. Especially watching the temperature and the sun come out and get hotter and hotter. Hats off to the organisers for getting this done today – so grateful to have been able to race there.”
Taddeucci has collected Olympic, world and European silverware over the last 13 months. Still blowing for air after her exertions in the heat, she said: “I am very happy but the temperature is very warm and for me better the warm water but this is very difficult. But I believe in Moesha and in my mind, follow Moesha! I am very happy for this.”
Pou echoed the pair’s feelings about the temperature and said: “Those girls are very inspiring for everyone and they won medals at the Olympics. This warm water we are not really used to it and I don’t really like this temperature but we had to do it with what we had today. So I am really happy with what I did.”
