Taiwan teen wins World Junior Open Water Swimming bronze

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) Fifteen-year-old Su Bo-ling (蘇柏陵) won Taiwan's first-ever medal at the World Aquatics Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Argentina on Friday, after clinching bronze in the men's 7.5-kilometer race.

Su, competing in the group for swimmers turning 16 or 17 in 2026, swam the freshwater lake course in Santa Fe in 1:23:27.60, finishing 1.6 seconds behind Hungarian gold medalist Balint Kreisz, and 0.2 seconds behind Armand Attila Marosszek, also of Hungary.

The bronze was Taiwan's first medal at the World Aquatics Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, which was first held in Brazil in 2006.

In the women's 5-kilometer race, open to those turning 14 or 15 this year, seventh-placed 14-year-old Liu Pin-cen (劉品岑) was the best Taiwanese finisher, with a time of 1:01:13.90. Russia's Kira Guseva won gold in 59:12.70.

The 2026 Junior Open Water Swimming Championships are being held from Thursday to Sunday, with a record 269 swimmers from 40 countries competing, including 10 from Taiwan.