Olympian Andreina Pinto of Venezuela and Olympian Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil had two hard, exciting battles in the 5K and 10K races at the IX South American Games (Juegos Sudamericanos in Spanish and Jogos Sul-Americanos in Portuguese) held in a reservoir next to Guatapé, west of Medellin, Colombia in March.

Andreina and Ana were awarded a tie in 1:01:56 in the 5K race, just slightly ahead of bronze medalist Nataly Rosalta Calle of Ecuador in 1:01:59. In the 10K race two days later, Andreina just barely nudged Ana near the finish in 1:58:10.1 over Ana’s 1:58:10.3 and Argentina’s Antonella Bogarin in 1:58:15.5

Among the men, Ecuador’s Ivan Enderica won both the 5K and 10K races. In the shorter 5K race, Ivan won in 57:12.3 over Brazil’s Allan do Carmo (57:14.3) and Argentina’s Damian Blaum and Venezuela’s Erwin Maldonado, both who tied for the bronze in 57:16.4. In the 10K race, Ivan backed up his gold medal swim from the 5K with a 1:50:31 victory over Erwin (1:50:33) and Damian (1:50:35).

The athletes will meet again, with even more on the line, at the 2010 World Open Water Swimming Championships in Canada this July.

Photo of Andreina Pinto by Getty Images.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones