Ludovica Terlizzi Dominates World Junior 10k With 80-Second

Italy's Ludovica Terlizzi delivered a stunning performance to win the women's 18-19 10k event on the first day of the 2026 Open Water World Junior Championships in Santa Fe, Argentina. The 19-year-old secured her first international medal with a commanding wire-to-wire victory, finishing 80 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

A Ledeckian Display of Dominance

Terlizzi broke from the pack immediately. By the end of the first of six laps, she had already built a 30-second lead over Russia's Polina Koziakina. That gap continued to grow throughout the race, extending to about a minute by lap two, a minute and ten seconds at the halfway point, and a final margin of 80 seconds. Unchallenged, Terlizzi touched the wall in a time of 1:55:35.0.

This victory represents a major breakthrough for the Italian swimmer. Her previous career highlights included a semifinal appearance in a 3k knockout World Cup event and a sixth-place finish in the 400 freestyle at Italian Nationals.

Podium Finishers and Political Significance

Russia's Polina Koziakina held on for second place with a time of 1:56:55.40. Her silver medal is politically significant, as SwimSwam notes it is the first time a Russian flag has appeared on a World Aquatics swimming podium since 2019. Russian athletes had been either banned entirely or prohibited from competing under their national flag for several years, a restriction recently reversed for junior events.

Hungary's Napsugar Nagy rounded out the podium with the bronze medal. Nagy is a decorated athlete at these championships, adding this medal to the two she earned at the 2024 Open Water World Junior Championships.

Men's 18-19 10k Event

Hungary also claimed gold in the men's 18-19 10k event through Mate Karpati. The 17-year-old won with a time of 1:46:46.30, securing a more modest victory margin of 5.6 seconds. Karpati is a veteran of the European Junior circuit and the 2023 European Junior champion in the 5k, but this world junior title is considered his biggest accolade to date.

The silver medal went to French-trained U.S. National team member and University of California commit Colin Jacobs. After narrowly missing selection for the Yankee Pan Pacific roster, Jacobs staged a dramatic comeback in the final lap. He was outside the top five before surging to overtake all but one competitor, earning his first international medal.

Brazil's Arthur Aguiar took the bronze. The 19-year-old was an early pacesetter alongside Russia's Lev Spanopulo, but only Aguiar managed to hold on for a spot on the podium.

The championships continue in Santa Fe through September 6.