Estonian open-water swimmers claim historic European Cup podium finishes

Jaan Pasko and Kirke Mõtsnik have delivered Estonia’s first-ever podium finishes in open-water swimming at a European Cup event in Tenero, Switzerland.

Pasko, 19, took third place in the men’s overall 10-kilometre race in 1:47:27.71. He finished nearly eight seconds behind Italian world champion Dario Verani and 1.68 seconds behind Poland’s Bartosz Kapala, who placed second. The first 10 swimmers finished within 14.53 seconds after a race that lasted almost two hours.

Pasko had helped lead the group early and remained among the front contenders throughout. He said he was “overjoyed” after abandoning two distances at the European Championships in Paris because of injury. The result, he added, came close to a win.

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I am overjoyed. After the unsuccessful European Championships in Paris, I was hungrier than ever. Right now it is simply pure happiness, and I was not far from victory either.

Mõtsnik, 18, won the women’s junior category and finished sixth overall among the women. Finland’s Louna Kasvio won the women’s race in 1:56:01.51, just six hundredths of a second ahead of Poland’s Klaudia Tarasiewicz. Mõtsnik finished nearly five minutes behind the winner.

“I knew I owed Estonia one good performance, and I am happy that I managed this distance so well today,” Mõtsnik said. “I am still, so to speak, green in open-water swimming, and every race gives me an enormous amount of experience.” The European Cup was due to begin in Cyprus in April, but that opening event was canceled because of weather. The series continues in Ražanac, Croatia, on Sept. 26, before the final in Barcelona.

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I knew I owed Estonia one good performance, and I am happy that I managed this distance so well today. I am still, so to speak, green in open-water swimming, and every race gives me an enormous amount of experience.