Black Line Fever

The 2025 World Aquatics Open Water World Cup season ends in style - sunshine, calm seas, and two deserving champions crowned in Golfo Aranci, Italy.On this episode of Black Line Fever, Alice Dearing and I look back on the season finale: the defining races, the title twists, and the stories that shaped the year.From Logan Fontaine’s last-gasp championship win to Ginevra Taddeucci’s emotional home-water triumph, we break down every moment - plus, we revisit our predictions, bring back Sink or Swim, and celebrate the athletes who made 2025 unforgettable.In This Episode:🏊‍♂️ Men’s 10km: Fontaine steals the title, Betlehem dominates, Verani delivers on home water.🏊‍♀️ Women’s 10km: Taddeucci’s control, Johnson’s fight, Martinez Guillen’s consistency.🌍 World Rankings: Betlehem and Johnson finish the year as World No.1s.💬 Prediction Review: Who got it right (and who really didn’t).⚖️ Sink or Swim: One last round for 2025.🎧 Tune in for race analysis, inside commentary, and a full wrap on an unforgettable season of open-water racing.Subscribe to Black Line Fever for the stories, rivalries, and voices that make open-water swimming come alive.

The World Cup gets cold, tidal, and tactical in Setúbal—where Olympic hopefuls made their final statements before the World Championships.On this episode of Black Line Fever, Alice Dearing and I break down all four races from Stop 3 of the 2025 World Aquatics Open Water World Cup. From Moesha Johnson’s second win of the season to Marc-Antoine Olivier’s masterclass in patience and positioning, Setúbal delivered moments that will shape how we view the race to Singapore.We unpack what mattered most: the breakthroughs, the blow-ups, and the athletes putting it all together at the right time.In This Episode:🏊‍♀️ Women’s 10km: Moesha Johnson dominates again, but the podium tells a bigger story about Europe’s rising depth.🏊‍♂️ Men’s 10km: Olivier times it perfectly. Rasovszky gambles and loses. Klemet flies under the radar—again.⚡ 3km Knockout Sprints: Hungary’s David Betlehem and Japan’s Ichika Kajimoto step into the spotlight.📊 Predictions Check-In: Alice pulls ahead. Will tries to stay relevant. Ibiza haunts us both.🚨 Sink or Swim: The final feed, the French surge, and the form line heading into Worlds.🎧 Tune in for expert analysis, inside-the-booth perspective, and context you won’t find anywhere else.Subscribe to Black Line Fever for all the open water storylines that matter as we build toward Singapore 2025.

The 2025 World Aquatics Open Water World Cup in Ibiza was a spectacle of strategy, speed, and surprises. With the debut of the 3km Knockout Sprint and unexpected podium finishes, the Mediterranean waters set the stage for a thrilling competition.This week on Black Line Fever, Alice Dearing and I dissect the races, offering insights into the tactics and performances that defined the event. Thanks to detailed lap split data provided by the Brazilian Sporting Club, we delve deeper into how the races unfolded lap by lap.In This Episode:🏊‍♀️ Women's 10km: Angela Martínez's triumphant home victory, Celine Rieder's impressive chase, and Viktória Mihályvári-Farkas's strategic moves.🏊‍♂️ Men's 10km: A surprising Italian sweep with Andrea Filadelli, Dario Verani, and Giuseppe Ilario leading the charge.⚡ 3km Knockout Sprint: Lea Boy and Oliver Klemet showcase their sprinting prowess in the inaugural event.📊 Lap Split Analysis: A detailed breakdown of each lap's dynamics, highlighting how the races evolved. Check out all the stats here https://open-water-charts.github.io/oo/oo-ibiza-m-10k.html & https://open-water-charts.github.io/oo/oo-ibiza-w-10k.html🔮 Looking Ahead: What these results mean for the upcoming races in Setúbal and the World Championships.🎧 Tune in for an in-depth analysis of the Ibiza races, enriched by exclusive data insights.Subscribe to Black Line Fever for the latest in open water swimming, athlete interviews, and expert race breakdowns.

The opening leg of the 2024 World Aquatics Open Water World Cup in Soma Bay delivered everything we love about open water swimming—dominance, drama, and disqualifications. With 19°C water, relentless wind, and high salinity, conditions were brutal, and only the toughest survived.This week, Alice Dearing joins the podcast as we break down every key moment from the Men’s, Women’s, and Relay races, analyzing who made a statement and who’s got work to do before Worlds.💥 In This Episode:🏊 Men’s 10km: Florian Wellbrock in a league of his own, while chaos erupts behind him. Five disqualifications, a wild Money Lap, and some unexpected names in the top 10.🏊 Women’s 10km: Moesha Johnson dominates, Ana Marcela Cunha misses the move, and Ginevra Taddeucci proves she’s the real deal.🏊 Mixed Relay: Germany & Australia set the standard—but who else looks dangerous for Worlds?🔮 What’s Next? Ibiza, Worlds, and the road to Paris—what these results tell us about the year ahead.🎧 Listen now and join the conversation! What surprised you most in Soma Bay? Who’s looking unbeatable, and who has work to do? Drop us a message and let us know your take!Subscribe to Black Line Fever for the latest open water swimming insights, race analysis, and exclusive conversations with the athletes and coaches shaping the sport.