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Shanghai - Britian's Keri-Anne Payne led from start to finish to claim the world swimming championships women's open water 10km gold medal on Tuesday, the victory ensuring she qualified for next year's London Olympics.
The 2009 world champion and Beijing Olympics silver medallist completed the four laps of the Jinshan City Beach course in two hours, one minute and 58 seconds, seeing off every challenge thrown at her and somehow finding another gear to extend her lead.
"That's my usual tactic," Payne told reporters. "I like to go out front on my own and I don't like to fight it out in the pack."
Italy's Martina Grimaldi finished second while Greece's Marianna Lymperta finished third in a race in which the top 10 finishers secured berths at next year's London Olympics.
Payne led from the start of the race in scorching conditions, though Australia's Melissa Gorman and Grimaldi never let the 23-year-old get out of sight.
Grimaldi, the 2010 world open water championships winner, and the Australian closed down the Briton as they entered the final stretch, moving to within a body length before Payne responded.
As the front two swimmers surged clear, Gorman dropped off the pace dramatically in the closing stages and was overtaken by the fast-finishing Lymperta.
