{"id":501937,"date":"2022-04-02T09:32:01","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T16:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=501937"},"modified":"2022-04-02T09:32:01","modified_gmt":"2022-04-02T16:32:01","slug":"katie-grimes-frenchman-axel-reymond-win-10k-titles-at-open-water-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/katie-grimes-frenchman-axel-reymond-win-10k-titles-at-open-water-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"Katie Grimes, Frenchman Axel Reymond Win 10K Titles at Open Water Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Katie Grimes, Frenchman Axel Reymond Win 10K titles at Open Water Nationals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Katie Grimes<\/strong> and Frenchman Axel Reymond<\/strong> opened the 2022 Open Water Nationals with wins in the 10-kilometer race Friday.<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s races in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., kick off three straight days of racing. The top six finishers earn spots on the 2022 U.S. Open Water National Team, from May 1-Oct. 31, 2022. They\u2019ll be in contention for the 2022 Open Water World Championships, as part of the 2022-23 team that is named starting Nov. 1.<\/p>\n

Grimes led the women\u2019s field<\/a> across the line in 2:16:40. She was second to Sandpipers teammate Erica Sullivan<\/strong> after two laps but pulled ahead on the third lap. She outlasted Mariah Denigan<\/strong> down the stretch, winning by a minute and 10 seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really had a good time out there today,\u201d Grimes said. \u201cThe conditions were a little rough, but I\u2019m learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I was swimming with a ton of girls, so I was really happy with the outcome and I\u2019m excited for the next race.\u201d<\/p>\n

France picked up three of the top six spots, with Caroline Jouisse<\/strong> third, Aurelie Muller<\/strong> fourth and Caroline Pou<\/strong> sixth. Summer Smith snuck into that top six in fifth. Sullivan did not finish.<\/p>\n

In the men\u2019s race, Brennan Gravley<\/strong> led the way through four laps, with Reymond outside the top four. But the Frenchman charged over the final lap to win by four seconds, in 2:02:49. Gravley was second ahead of brother Dylan Gravley,<\/strong> giving Sandpipers three top-three finishers combined.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited,\u201d Brennan Gravley said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favorite parts of being a USA Swimming athlete, I feel like we have a lot of privileges, especially as open water swimmers. It was a fun venue and it was fun to come out here \u2014 even with intense conditions \u2014 and I enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joey Tepper<\/strong> finished fourth with Olympian Michael Brinegar<\/strong> fifth.<\/p>\n