Tokyo Olympics: Team GB’s Alice Dearing finishes 19th in the women’s 10km swimming marathon

It was a historical moment at the Olympics on Tuesday as Team GB’s Alice Dearing finished 19th in the women’s 10km swinning marathon in Tokyo.

In competing in the 10km marathon, which was won by Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha, Dearing had become Britain’s first ever black female swimmer to appear at an Olympics.

The 24-year-old, from Birmingham, finished in a time of 2:05:03.2s in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old in action for Team GB during the endurance event in Tokyo on Tuesday 

Meanwhile, Cunha held off fierce competition and a late surge from her rivals to clinch gold on Tuesday in a time of 1:59:30.8s.

Cunha – who had won everything except for the Olympic title up until now – fended off Netherlands’ Sharon van Rouwendaal while Australia’s Kareena Lee took home bronze in the two-hour race. 

Dearing had performed very impressively over the first two thirds of the endurance race – arguably the toughest event at the Olympics.

However, she fell away in the latter stages in what were some very difficult conditions in the Tokyo heat. 

Ana Marcela Cunha celebrates after clincing gold in the women’s 10km swimming marathon

Following her historic appearance in Tokyo, Dearing gave an emotional interview after completing the open water event.

She told the BBC: ‘I really hope it makes a difference and people look at this (me) and think it’s possible for anyone out there. 

‘It’s tough, it’s hard but if you want to learn to swim 25m or go to swim in the Olympics I want people to know that it’s open and available to everybody and just go and give it your best shot.’

‘It’s only three years until Paris. I’ve got a lot more to give and learn, this is my first Olympics, I’m definitely not done. I’ll go home, take my time to get over it and then come back stronger next year and the year after.’

Cunha fended off late a surge from the likes of Kareena Lee (R), who took home bronze