Toby Robinson just misses podium at Marathon Swim World Series in Hungary

Photo: FINA

Toby Robinson was less than three seconds away from a podium finish at the fourth round of the FINA/HOSA Marathon Swim World Series in Hungary.

Robinson finished fourth in the men's 10k open water swim at Balatonfured, which attracted the strongest ever field in the championship's history.

The Loughborough swimmer got stronger as the race went on. Having reached the quarter-way marker 43rd fastest, he pushed on to chase down the front three and finish in a time of 1:56:01.80.

Nobody could keep pace with German swimmer Florian Wellbrock, who led at 5k and never looked back. He won in 1:55.40.20, from Dutchman Ferry Weertman in second (1:55:57.00) and Frenchman Axel Reymond in third (1:55.59.10).

Robinson's fellow Brit Jack Burnell also made the top ten, finishing eighth in 1:56:08.00. Burnell had been third in the Marathon Swim World Series rankings prior to this fourth round, but he's slipped a place after Italy's Matteo Furlan landed a fifth-place finish in Hungary.

Weertman has opened up a 19-point lead in the series, but only three points separate Simone Ruffini in second and Burnell in fourth.

The women's 10k race was won by Brazil's Ana Marcela Cunha (2:05:53.10) from USA's Hayley Anderson (2:05:53.40) and Italy's Rachele Bruni (2:05:54.70).

Four rounds of the series remain, with the next meeting in Canada on July 26.