Marathon swimming is a grueling race, and winning gold must feel extra sweet.
You could ask Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands about that now, as the 22-year-old nabbed gold in the women’s 10k swimming event in Rio, swimming a 1:56:31.2.
Van Rouwendaal, who swam indoor at the 2012 Games in London, beat her nearest competitor by almost 17 seconds.
In comparison, French silver medalist Aurelie Muller tipped Italian bronze medalist Rachele Bruni by less than a second.
Van Rouwendaal’s dominant run came at the expense of the 1-2 finishers in 2012, who finished less than a second apart in London.