The first 20 swimmers to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games have been confirmed after the men’s and women’s 10km marathon swimming events took place at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia.

The USA’s Jordan Wilimovsky won the men’s race in the Kazanka River on Monday (27 July) to become the first swimmer to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games, when the marathon swimming will take place at Copacabana beach. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) confirmed that the top 10 finishers won places in Rio.

Wilimovsky, 21, topped a field of 70 swimmers, with Dutchman Ferry Weertman coming second and Greece's Spyridon Gianniotis, 35, taking bronze and qualifying for his fifth Olympic Games. 

“I am stoked with this win,” said Wilimovsky. “I was just trying to get into the top 10 and qualify for Rio. I haven't been to Brazil but it looks pretty cool and I'm excited to go.”

Jordan Wilimovsky has taken a year off from university to train for the Olympic Games (Photo: Getty Images/Streeter Lecka)

Also among the qualifiers were Brazil’s Allan do Carmo, the 2014 World Cup winner, the current World Cup leader Jack Burnell, of Great Britain. However, London 2012 Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia finished outside the qualifying places in 23rd. See below for the full list of qualifiers.

The women’s race took place on Tuesday (28 July) at the same venue, with France’s Aurelie Muller taking gold and a place in Rio, along with the other top-10 finishers, as confirmed by FINA.

Muller, who failed to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games,  finished ahead of her training partner, Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands, with Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha taking bronze. Fellow Brazilian Poliana Okimoto finished sixth to qualify for Rio as well. See below for the full list of qualifiers.

Van Rouwendaal said:“I’m very happy that I qualified for the Olympic Games because it was my goal. Aurelie and I train together in France under a great coach, Philippe Lucas. She arrived in February and I hope that we will train together until the Olympics.”

Aurelie Muller touches in to win France's first gold medal in marathon swimming (Photo: Getty Images/Matthias Hangst)

The remaining places in the Rio 2016 marathon swimming events will be decided at the FINA Olympic qualifier next May. The Rio 2016 marathon swimming test event will be staged in Copacabana on 22-23 August 2015.

Men’s Olympic qualifiers:

Jordan Wilimovsky (USA)
Ferry Wertman (NED)
Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE)
Sean Ryan (USA)
Jack Burnell (GBR)
Marc-Antoine Oliver (FRA)
Simone Ruffini (ITA)
Richard Weinberger (CAN)
Alan do Carmo (BRA)
Federico Vanelli (ITA)

Women’s Olympic qualifiers:

Aurelie Muller (FRA)
Sharon Van Rouwendaal (NED)
Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA)
Rachele Bruni (ITA)
Anastasiia Krapivina (RUS)
Poliana Okimoto Cintra (BRA)
Isabelle Franziska Harle (GER)
Kalliopi Araouzou (GRE)
Haley Anderson (USA)
Eva Risztov (HUN)

Follow the race to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games here.

Rio2016.com is not an absolute authority on qualification for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is an ongoing process. Final places will only be confirmed in July 2016 (for the Olympic Games) and August 2016 (for the Paralympic Games). The qualification systems are defined by each sport’s respective International Federation and the International Olympic Committee or International Paralympic Committee, and are subject to change. When an athlete or team wins a quota place for their nation, the final decision on whether this ‘slot’ is used and which athletes are sent is taken by the respective National Olympic Committee or National Paralympic Committee (NOC or NPC). Even when athletes win a ‘nominal’ place for themselves, NOCs/NPCs may have to decide who to send if the number of qualified athletes from one country exceeds the quota.