City of Perth swimmer Robbie Bonsall (c: Eoin Carroll) has done it again, following his 5km victory in Bunbury with a dominant performance in the 10km event at the Open Water Swimming (OWS) Series Round 3: Coogee on Saturday. Bonsall claimed the Champion title with a time of one hour, 51 minutes and 16.2 seconds.
The Coogee event, proudly presented by the City of Cockburn, is one of the biggest in the OWS Series. This year’s race boasted ideal conditions, with flat water, warm sunshine, and a record 916 registered competitors. The event also supported the 16 Days in WA campaign to stop family and domestic violence, with many swimmers donning orange to show their support.
"I felt a bit rough around the 3km mark, especially with my shoulder hurting a little," said Bonsall after his impressive win. "But it eased up, and I found my stroke rhythm, which helped me get some good power over the water."
"I recently moved to City of Perth. It's a great environment, and the whole squad is really supportive. Eoin is a great coach—really nice. I'm really enjoying it," he shared.
Looking ahead, Bonsall plans to compete at the 2024 Hancock Prospecting WA Championships before tackling the Australian Open Water Championships in Busselton in the new year.
Kyle Lee (North Coast/WAIS, c: Ian Mills) secured silver with Adam Sudlow (North Coast, c: Ian Mills) claiming bronze. New South Wales’ Euan Liney finished overall third place.
In the female category, Bianca Monaco (North Coast, c: Ian Mills) retained her title with a time of two hours, 8 minutes and 7.6 seconds. Queensland’s Sienna Deurloo claimed the overall win.
"The conditions were really nice out there—super flat, and I felt good. Swimming 10km is always a mental challenge, but I felt pretty strong and just kept powering through," said Deurloo.
Monaco, competing alongside Queensland’s Daisy Quinn and Ella Reynolds, shared her experience: "I’m very tired, but super happy with that swim."
"Ella and Daisy are such strong competitors—it’s great to race with them. They’re really quick, so I’m happy to stay with them today.
"The race wasn’t too bad; we held a solid pace, but that last lap, we all picked it up, and it got pretty fast. The water was perfect—super flat, easy to spot the buoys, and just really nice," Monaco said.
Quinn and Reynolds finished just behind Monaco. Western Australia’s Rebekah Weller (Rockingham, c: Ryan Spencer) secured silver, while Josie Page (Westside Christ Church, c: Jon Harrison) claimed bronze.
The largest OWS Series event in recent years, Coogee again proved its popularity as a swimming destination. With record numbers of swimmers, it was also a great platform for launching the 16 Days in WA campaign, reinforcing the message that we all need to play our part to keep our family and community safe.
Results | Photos | Up Next: Rockingham
