LONG BEACH, California - Japan's Airi Ebina came second and Ichika Kajimoto third in the women's 10-kilometer open water at the Pan Pacific swimming championships on Monday.
Japan Aquatics said the two swimmers are the first from the country to reach the podium at the tournament, while Australia's Moesha Johnson won the race.
"I was able to have a good race for the first time in a while. Frankly, I'm happy," Ebina said. "I was trying to stay close to the top, and that worked. I was able to make the most of my strength."
Kajimoto claimed she only passed her "minimum target" and did not hide her feelings.
"My positioning in the first half of the race was bad," she said. "I imagined I'd feel much happier after winning a medal, but the sense of frustration is a bit bigger."
