Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria clocked in five hours 10 minutes and 39.8 seconds to take the men's 25km open water gold medal at the 14th FINA World Championships?in Shanghai?on Saturday.

After the conclusion of the open water finals, seven countries split the seven golds on offer.

Russian Vladimir Dyatchin got the silver in 5:11:15.6 and Hungarian Csaba Gercsak won the bronze in 5:11:18.1.

"I won many other races but it's my first time to win the world championships, and it's probably my last world championships for my career," said Stoychev, adding that he had participated in three or four world championships since 2001.

"I just want to have a rest, waiting for some water and ice," said the winner, "the organization of Shanghai is brilliant, it's really well prepared. However, I don't like the heat here, the weather is not for me."

Runner-up Dyatchin said that "the water was too hot to race, but it's not a problem because we've stayed in Shanghai till the day to race and had a good competition."

"In Rome (world championships), I'm the third place so this time I am far better and faster," said the Russian.

Six swimmers, including Germany's Thomas Lurz who won the 5km race and grabbed the silver in the Olympic-qualifying 10km race, didn't start the men's race, while nine others withdrew during the course as the water temperature had reached 32 degrees.

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