Open Water Swimming Connection

Hello,

Well, my final race is over. It did not go very well, as you´ve probably seen in the results. To be honest, I have no idea what happened or why it did not go well at all. I did everything I could to prepare and I was ready to go. Some days, I guess, are better than others. Yesterday was not one of my better days.

Even though the swim did not go well, the support I received throughout and after the race made it difficult to be upset. I had four of the best coaches out there on the course with me, giving me nutrition and encouraging me even when they knew how much I was struggling. Coaches from other countries were cheering me on as well. Britta, one of my very best friends, was out on a feeding pontoon working with the German athletes and she helped me so much each time I went by her station. When I finished, the team doctor and trainer were both there to greet me and the officials allowed Shelley Clark (another one of my very best friends) to run down to greet me and help me out of the water. The entire US team was there to congratulate me and support me and it was a pretty incredible feeling to know that I had so many friends and teammates no matter how I did in the water.

Brendan arrived the day before my race and watched every minute of it. He was there for me at the end, as well, and has been incredible. I can´t possibly describe how much it means to me to know that I have such a wonderful group of people who care about me and support me through all of these events.

I don´t have too much to report as far as how the other races went. Mark Warkentin had a GREAT swim and got a silver medal in the 25K. Olympic qualification in the 10K and sliver medal in the 25K - what a week!

I was able to celebrate for a while last night with my international friends. It´s now 4am and I´m at a hostel in Seville... not sleeping because I can never sleep the night after a race like that... waiting until 5am when we´ll head to the airport to begin our travels around Europe.

Erica

Hello -

Well, I'm not even really sure where to begin. Thank you for all of the emails... it sounds like most of you have checked the results and have realized that it has been a pretty crazy 48 hours for the US team over here at the World Championships in Spain. I'll try to give you a little bit from our point of view...

The women's race was yesterday (Saturday) morning. Everything went according to schedule for the preparations - our girls were up early, at breakfast, warmed up in the river, and had their numbers and transponders on well before they were sent to the call room. The organizers did a great job of getting all of the competitors organized, lined up, announced and on the dock right on time for a punctual start. There was a bit of an issue with a false start, actually - one of the volunteers had a siren that went off and a few girls (including Micha) jumped in early. They were not disqualified, though, and they got back up on the dock and the official re-started the race.

The race was fast and rough. It was clear that the pack was tight and that they were working to hold their positions and to swim fast enough to stay in the group. We were able to see a lot with our binoculars and we also had radio communication with coaches on the feeding pontoon and with coaches on bridges and on the other side of the course. Kirsten was in the top 5 or so almost the entire race. Micha was right up there, too - sitting at about 12th most of the time. Cassie Patten (from Great Britian) had a VERY gutsy swim - she led the ENTIRE way (well, right up until Larissa from Russia passed her in the last 400 meters.)

Anyway, I could write more but I'm sure you can find race reports online. Basically, the last 1K was a shock for everyone. Girls surged ahead that had been at the back of the pack and girls that had been sitting out in front all of a sudden fell off. Kirsten wound up 21st and Micha was 31st. My good friend Britta from Germany (who, in 20 World Championship races throughout her career has NEVER finished lower than 7th place) came in 39th yesterday. Her teammate, Angela, made the Olympic team but Britta did not. Edith, another best friend, came in 11th and will represent the Netherdlands in Beijing in August. I can't possibly explain the emotion invovled in watching the finish of yesterday's race. It was just a bizzare experience to witness. Watching from the stands, you could look around and see some countries rejoicing with girls that were living the happiest moment of their lives... and then you could turn the other way and see girls just completely devastated and in complete shock and disbelief.

That said... our girls do have another chance. They did not qualify for the Olympics yesterday, but there is one more race where 9 more girls will be selected. That race is the Beijing test event at the end of this month. Right now, we're not sure which Americans will be going. Most likely, it will be Kirsten and Micha again. The decision is up to the head USA National Team coach, though, and that is Mark Schubert. He will wait to see how the team does throughout the rest of this week and he will then decide who we will take to the test event in Beijing. At most, we can qualify one girl now. It is our job now to get these girls back on their feet and to show them that we're here for them and proud of them even though they did not qualify for the Olympic Games... yet.

Switching gears... today we witnessed the men's 10K race. Like the women's race, it went off smoothly and was a fast and brutal race. The referees were whistling and going crazy and there were several "yellow cards" given. In fact, Australia's amazing and world famous swimmer Grant Hacket was disqualified today - something that very rarely happens at a World Championship event. I'm going to go ahead and omit more race details here because I'm sure you will be able to read other reports online. Davies (Great Britain) had an incredible race - he never stopped to feed at all and led the entire way (until, similarly to yesterday's race, Vladimir from Russia touched him out at the very end.) Turns out, by the way, that neglecting to feed is not necessarily the best tactic. Davies passed out on his way off the awards podium after the race. No worries... his teammates were there to catch him and he was taken to the medical tent and is fine now.

Anyway, it was once again an extremely emotional finish for the American team to witness. Mark Warkentin finished 7th, earning a spot at the 2008 Olympic Games and becoming the first open water Olympian from the USA. Chip Peterson finished 13th... and therefore does not get to go to the Games. I have spent several weeks throughout the past 2 years training with Chip and he has become one of my closest friends in the sport. Catherine, his coach, has taken me under her wing and coached me at several international races. Watching the two of them after his race was absolutely heart breaking. I still have no idea what to say. It's not okay. There isn't necessarily another chance.

So... that's where we are today. Right now, we're waiting for dinner and then we'll have a team meeting later this evening. We still have 4 more races here at the World Championships - both the men and women will race the 5K on Tuesday, May 6th, and then both the men and women will race the 25K on Thursday, May 8th. Tomorrow will be a day to re-focus and help each other and I'm sure we'll be fired up and ready to go again by Tuesday.

For a quick personal update... although the past two days have been a roller coaster of emotion, I'm still focused and ready to go for a great 25K later on this week. My training has been GREAT over here in Spain and it has been so much fun to catch up with friends and live this experience one more time. I can't wait for Thursday!

I'm not sure we'll have much internet access after this, so this might be my last email for a while. Keep cheering for the USA - and thank you for all of your support and encouragement. More fast thoughts on Tuesday and Thursday!

Go USA!

Erica

Today is internet day again, so I figured I'd send a quick update to let you know how things are going over here in Spain. We've settled into a routine of training, eating, and sleeping... but tomorrow the schedule will change as we kick things off with Day One of the 2008 Open Water World Championships. The women will dive in at 10am for the start of the 10K. When all is said and done, fifteen of those girls will be on their way to Beijing to represent their country at the 2008 Olympic Games. The men will follow on Sunday with the same routine. I will update you as soon as I can after both races. I'm sure you will be able to find almost immediate results on the USA Swimming, FINA, or Australian Swimming websites. (Grant Hackett is here so the Australian media is all over this race!)

The USA is looking good - Micha, Kirsten, Chip and Mark (our 10K swimmers) all look tough, rested, and ready to go. We did a trial run yesterday morning - the whole team got up early, ate breakfast together, walked over to the starting area, got ready, and dove into the river together to simulate the start of the race. The water looks a little murky, but it seems rather clean and the temperature is great. There's a big buzz about all of the new suits but we're trying not to get too distracted by all of it. Basically, the idea seems to be that we're wearing whatever is most comfortable and not worrying about how buoyant it is or what fabric it's made of. We know we'll be fast no matter what we've got on!

The team is getting along well - it's tough sometimes to be around the same people in close quarters all day long like this, but I think we're actually handling it pretty well. There are lots of teams staying in this hotel - Netherlands, Australia, Hungary, Germany, and France to name a few - so it can be kind of stressful to walk around and feel like you're being watched all the time. At the same time, though, it's been nice for me to be so close to so many friends. We have been hanging out in the lobby downstairs and visiting in each other's rooms... it's so much easier than when we're thousands of miles apart! We're in a hotel that is across the street from the race venue. There is also a dorm-style residence at the venue and most of the other teams are there (Russia, Italy, Canada, China, Spain, Venezuela, etc.). I've been visiting there and they've come over here - it's a great little international village situation we've got!

I guess that's about it for now. We haven't really been out and about in the city too much (other than the drives to and from the practice facilities) so I don't have much to report about anything other than training and getting ready for the races. That's why we're here, though, so I guess we're doing a great job staying focused!

I hope everything is going well at home. I'll be in touch again after the races. Think FAST thoughts for our 10Kers on the 3rd and 4th.

GO USA!

Erica

Just a quick update to let you know that things are going fairly well over here in Spain.

We have basically been training, eating, and resting since we got here. The weather has been perfect and the hotel is great. There is a lot of downtime, though, and being in close quarters with the same people all day long tends to lead to tension rather quickly. So far, things are actually okay... we'll see how everyone does as race days approach.

Today was an afternoon off from training for most of our group. We had planned to have a team outing to the city of Cadiz but when we got ready to go, one of the vans broke down. The coaches decided to take the four youngest swimmers on the trip (along with a few staff members) and the rest of us got left behind. I thought it was boring to be here when I was training two times per day... having the ENTIRE afternoon off and nothing to do is brutal. We couldn't go anywhere else until we got a new van (no idea why we couldn't pair up and jump in cabs) and then by the time we got the van, it was siesta time and everything is closed.

So... I've been watching CNN (the only English channel) and reading. I'm already through almost 2 books... and I only brought 5. I need to slow down. Other teams are arriving today and tomorrow, so I may go look around and see what friends I can find from other countries.

Go USA!

Hello everyone -

The trip to Spain went very well. None of us really slept on the flight over (tough because it was an afternoon flight based on our time that got in early in the morning local time.) Needless to say, we were all exhausted last night and in bed by about 8pm. The food on the flight was also some of the worst airplane food I've had in ages. Unbelievable. Oh, and our entire team got rather lost in the Madrid airport. We only lost a few bags by the time we got to Spain, though, and most of them were found and delivered by this morning. So... all in all... not a bad start.

The experience at the hotel so far been pretty great. We're so spoiled here - we're going to have to watch ourselves to not balloon up and float our way through the races based on the food we're getting. We have unbelievable spreads of food for all of our meals. We have special catering for lunch and dinner that USA Swimming is getting for us. The breakfast buffet this morning (served to all hotel guests, not just the USA team) was like nothing I've seen before. I could go into detail - but I think I'll just leave you with one of the most exciting parts - the chocolate fountain at breakfast! Most of us were pretty good and avoided that this morning, but we'll see how long the self control lasts.

We have already had two swim sessions. We're struggling to get the pool owners to give us enough training time, but we have lots of USA staff working on it. Speaking of which, we have 9 staff members here for 10 athletes. That's quite the ratio! They're all pretty amazing people and I'm excited to spend 2 weeks with them.

Back to the training... you would not believe how cold the water was this morning. I never warmed up throughout the entire 8K session. Not fun at all. Plus, it was pitch black out for the first hour. We had to dodge the sprinkler system as we tried to find our way to the pool on the way into workout and then we were guided only by the moonlight for the first hour. Fun... in a way. Would have been more fun if we weren't so cold.

Anyway, the one major thing I did want to let you know is that we do not have the internet access here that we assumed we would. There is great internet service, but it costs about $20 per day. My roommate and I have decided to split the cost and to buy it every 3-4 days. I'll be in touch when I can.

I hope everything is going well at home.

Go USA!

Men's 10K
Written by Steve Munatones

Hold On. Hold Fast. Hold Out.

Before Mark Warkentin, 27 of Santa Barbara Swim Club, out-dueled Chip Peterson of North Carolina, to win the World Championship Open Water Trials in Miromar Lake today, he had to overcome his natural instincts to take the lead…until the very end.

Like Micha Burden, the women’s 10K winner yesterday, Mark settled himself comfortably behind his competitors throughout the majority of the race, using positioning to his optimal advantage.

The weather (89°F) was slightly cooler than yesterday’s women’s race due to the drop in humidity from 74% to 60%, a lower water temperature (84°F to 82°F) and a slightly greater wind. As the group of 22 men lined up in their positions, it was clear this race included the Who’s Who of American open water swimming:

Chip Peterson, the 2005 World 10K Champion, and multi-time national 5K and 10K champion.
Noa Sakamoto and John Flanagan, former Waikiki Roughwater Swim winners and top Grand Prix finishers, both representing their home state of Hawaii. Mark Warkentin, a World Cup winner, two-time 25K national champion and multiple California ocean swim winner. Fran Crippen, a Pan American Games and Pan Pacific Swimming 10K champion. Scott Kaufmann, a highly regarded competitor who has represented the US at the 2005 and 2007 World Swimming Championships Chad La Tourette of Mission Viejo and Josef Kinderwater of WSY Swimming who both attended recent Open Water Select Camps and are tough up-and-coming young competitors. John Kenny, a multiple National Open Water Team member and top 25K swimmer.

Before the race, there was significant tension in the air. The usual more laid-back atmosphere of open water swims gave way to a level of seriousness and focus more typical of Olympic Trials, pool-style. The swimmers checked out their navigational lines in their warm-ups and walked down the lakeside to the race start. Everyone knew, based on the results of the women’s race, that the race was up for grabs…for those who were patient and tactical enough to outwit and out-sprint their competitors.

The field started off strong, heading straight into a slight surface chop and slight morning sun’s glare.

Swimming past numerous multi-million-dollar mansions surrounding Lake Como, the field immediately formed into a classic European pack with everyone jockeying into position, hitting each other’s feet and hands, muscling their way around or away from others. Many of the pre-race favorites quickly found themselves in the front of the pack: Fran Crippen, Chip Peterson, Chad La Tourett and Noa Sakamoto.

But, there was one conspicuous absence: Mark Warkentin.
Where was Mark? Pulling up the rear.
Was this the same Mark who likes to lead? Sure was…swimming calmly and smoothly at the caboose.

Despite Mark’s position, he was still no more than 10 meters away from the leader. Fran was frequently joined in the front by 3-4 other competitors in a classic “4-wide” (4 swimmers swimming stroke-for-stroke and side-by-side to one another), followed by another 6-wide and yet another 7-wide. The spectacular stack of athletes was similar to the packs that are so often found at European or FINA open water races.

Around the athletes went the first set of 3 large turn buoys, along with audible grunts and groans heard by observers on the head referee’s boat and media boat.

By the latter half of the first 2.K loop, Indiana’s John Koehler had taken the lead from Fran, Noa, Chip and Chad…followed immediately by 20 competitors, all swimming aggressively and all who were not about to let John get too far away. Then, John let loose with a large splash of his kick…he didn’t appreciate those behind him tapping, tapping, tapping on his feet.

Gradually, one of one, swim caps started to come off and the pack of closely shaven heads were all swimming and eyeballing each other under the surface.

A whistle was called before the end of the first loop by Sid Cassidy, the head referee, as the competitors continued to swim in close proximity to one another, frequently invading each other’s space.

Before the end of the first loop, John was overcome by yet another quickly formed 4-wide and the ever-present 6-wide along the second line behind the leaders.

And, where was Mark Warkentin lurking? In the back, patiently bidding his time.

Stroke counts during the course of first 2.K loop were Fran at 36 and 37, Chip at 40 and 42, Chad at 34 and 34, and Noa at 40 and 40. Throughout the second loop, the field continued to surge and lay back at different times and in various formations of 4-wides, 6-wides and an occasionally impressive 8-wide. It was still early and still anyone’s ball game…and all of the swimmers seemed to know their relative positions and the need to continue drafting.

A little over 3K, Noa decided to temporarily take the lead after getting heavily jostled around in the middle of a 6-wide. With a swimmer willing to take the lead, a Mission Viejo duo, Fran and Chad, comfortably settled in behind Noa, thankful for being able to ride in his wake.

Then, just as soon as Noa was in the lead, did another 5-wide form right behind him, followed by another 5-wide. Some observers thought the group looked like an overcrowded warm-up pool during an age-group meet. Others likened the race to a heavyweight boxing match where the swimmers would occasionally throw a jab, only to glance off the shoulder of his competitors.

Then, Noa was on his back, slowing down to let others pull the train. Fran, Chip, Chad, Noa…each was taking his turn to shake the group and fight for some clear water. Meanwhile, competitors like John Flanagan, John Kenny and Scott Kaufmann remained right in the middle of the back…like Mark…just bidding their time.

3K…4K…5K…back-and-forth…surge and slow…lead, draft, fall-back. Chip was wisely swimming towards the front, always at the fringes, generally with only one swimmer at his side. Less-experienced swimmers would battle competitors on both their left and right shoulders.

Before the 5K turn buoys, the Mission Viejo duo of Fran and Chad sprinted out ahead to get some clear water and round the buoys smoothly without danger of getting their goggles knocked off or getting kicked.

Around the 5K turn buoys went the entire group, each lining themselves up for an important feed. More grunts and groans were heard amid warning whistles from the referees.Through the 5K mark, Fran continued at a 37 strokes per minute pace, while Chad held at 36 and Fran at 39. At one point, when the group slowed and Chip refused to take the lead, his stroke count dropped to 30.

Around the 6K point, Chip moved unexpectedly into the lead with a strong kick…was this his break? Was this the time for Chip to break away from the pack and take control of the race, while Mark was still sitting back in 15th place? No. Chip simply moved into position to roll-over on his back, calmly take a gel pack from his swim suit and down it in one quick gulp. Without missing a stroke, Chip was back swimming freestyle, settling comfortably in second place. It was another classic move that is so often seen by more experienced European professional open water swimmers.

At 7K, the pack was still swimming relatively slowly, knowing that the last loop was looming ahead of them. The more experienced swimmers like John Flanagan and Scott Kaufmann were stealthily moving into prime position…as was Mark Warkentin.

Around the 7.5K turn buoys, the tension shown on the swimmers’ faces before the race was mirrored by the concern shown by the coaches on the 3 feeding stations. This last all-important feeding was going to be a zoo, with everyone wanting to get a good feed.

Feeding sticks of all lengths and styles were ready for the oncoming group of fast-moving swimmers. There was no holding back now, the pace had quickened. Mark has moved up behind Fran, but the distance from Fran to the end of the pack was still only 15 meters.

Closer and closer the swimmers came to the feeding pontoons. Cheers were heard from the teammates, parents and fans along the lake. As the swimmers came into feed, bodies slammed into one another, cups were lost, feeding sticks were overturned by swimmer’s arms…and yet a majority of swimmers got in and out with at least a decent gulp or two.

“Good feed!”, said a smiling John Dussliere, coach of Mark Warkentin, who had devised a well-engineered special feeding stick.

“GO, CHIP, GO!” encouraged Catherine Vogt, long-time coach of Chip Peterson.

“$8q!%$*#” yelled another coach whose cup was accidentally overturned by the arm stroke of another swimmer.

By the 8K, Mark had moved into the lead with strong powerful strokes and Chip at his heels, following by another 4-wide and 5-wide. Although Mark and Chip had dropped a few swimmers by the last set of turn buoys, it was still anyone’s race.

Around the last set of buoys, Fran and Chad seemed to slam into others and lost a bit of ground, but Mark and Chip were both within a body’s length.

With less than 1000 meters to go, Mark swung out wide from the small white navigational buoy to take a great line to the 400-meter straightaway finish. Chip followed with Noa, Fran, Chad and the rest of the group all kicking and giving it everything they had.

800 meters to go and Mark had clearly established himself as the front-runner. Only Chip was within spitting distance.

600 meters to go and Chip was kicking in high gear. He came up along Mark and it was mano-a-mano. The rest of the field was fighting for 3rd and 4th.

Down the straightaway, Mark and Chip went at each other: stroke-for-stroke, side-by-side. West Coast vs. East Coast. College grad vs. college underclassman.

400 meters. 300 meters.

Onshore, the crowd was waiting in anticipation. They could see two swimmers in the lead, but who was on the left…who was on the right? And the second pack was a 5-wide with everyone taking a different line.

200 meters. 150. 100. Race announcers, Erica Rose and Dave Thompson called the race as it reached its climax.

Chip surged. Mark surged. Chip got a tad in front. Then, Mark went back at him. Chip’s kick was the same strong 6-beat that won him a World Championship. But, today was Mark’s day. He bid his time and prepared himself well for this last sprint.

Towards the end, Mark got the jump on Chip and just edged out Chip 1:57:01.84 to Chip’s 1:57:03.64. Josef Kinderwater put on the after-burners to place an unexpected third.

Both Mark and Chip now join Micha Burden and Kirsten Groome at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships in hopes of grabbing a top 10 spot as one of the finalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 10K Marathon Swim.

“I thought how everyone was going to make a move (at the end),” recalled Mark who was still shaking 10 minutes after the race ended. “When Chip came up on me, I was so nervous that someone else was on the other side who I couldn’t see. I was scared that a herd of swimmers where right at our feet and were going to bear down on us.” Considering the frequency of having 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-wides during the race, Mark’s fears were understandable.

Mark continued, “I have never won another big race before. I knew the big push would come, and I was waiting and waiting because I knew it would come. I didn’t think I was one of the race favorites. Honestly, I thought I was just going to get third or fourth, but I was patient in this race…and I have been impatient in other races before.”

Chip later remarked, “I felt the entire race was like Seville’s 10K race earlier this year. I felt comfortable in the pack. This is almost a dream come true. The next step is to qualify for the Olympics and get some more World Cup races in before Seville.”

“In a race like this, it really doesn’t matter if you get first or second,” said Mark as he commented on his and Chip’s automatic selection as America’s male representatives. “It’s shocking (to me). I’ve gone to every practice and my shot finally came. I can’t describe what this win feels like, but I have been away from home for 12 of the last 14 weeks training at altitude in either Colorado Springs or Mexico…”

As Warkentin said, "At 27 and at the end of my career, this probably would have been the last race."
Not quite yet.

With the Seville 10K team now set, USA Swimming’s next goal is to help prepare these athletes for the all-important 10K race in a Seville river. The top 10 swimmers in Seville will automatically qualify for the Olympic 10K finals in the Olympic rowing basin on either August 20th (female) or August 21st (male).

Women's Race Swimming Smart Leads to Victory
Written by Steve Munatones

Micha Burden, originally from Alaska and currently training in Mission Viejo, California, upset a stellar field of open water stars to win the USA Swimming Open Water World Championship Trials on Saturday, October 20 in Miromar Lakes, Florida. Kirsten Groome, 17 of First Colony Swim Team, just edged out Chloe Sutton, also of Mission Viejo Nadadores, to take second. Both Micha and Kirsten will represent the US in the 10K Olympic selection meet in Seville, Spain in late April 2008 with Chloe as the alternate. The top 10 swimmers in the Seville Olympic meet will be chosen to participate in the 10K Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in August.

The 10K race between the best 20 open water swimmers in the U.S. started just before 9 am until cloudy skies. The water temperature was nearly 85° with an air temperature of 82°F and 74% humidity. “It was very hot out there and hydration is very important,” said Dave Thomas, Sport Development official with USA Swimming. “But this will be very similar to the weather and swimming conditions in Seville and in Beijing.”

The course was a very well-marked 10K loop course in Lake Como, a man-made lake near Ft. Myers. The race included 4 loops nearly 2.5K in length with a special 400+ meter straightaway sprint to the finish chute off the main course. There were small white directional buoys every 10 meters throughout the loop course, with the ends of the loop course marked by large orange turn buoys. In all, the swimmers had to navigate around 24 turn buoys before heading to the 400-meter finish straightaway.

The 20 female Olympic aspirants ranged in ages from 14-year-old Eva Fabian of Greenwood Memorial Swim Club in Massachusetts, to former four-year Stanford All-American, Lisa Hazen at 43. Eva swam exceedingly well in placing sixth in 2 hours 3 minutes and 56 seconds, while Lisa Hazen finished 17th.

But, right from the start, the race belonged to Micha, Kirsten, Chloe and 2004 Olympian Kalyn Keller. The foursome quickly distanced themselves from the rest of the field and steadily opened up an ever-increasing gap throughout the race.

50 meters from the start, Chloe took control of the race with Kirsten, Micha and Kalyn falling right in line behind her, utilizing her draft to their advantage. “I knew they (Chloe, Kirsten and Kalyn) were the ones to watch for and I knew they would take the lead,” said Micha after the race. “I just took one lap at a time and wanted to be able to counter their moves.” The former Huntington Beach lifeguard obviously knew what she was doing for she was never more than a foot off of either Chloe or Kirsten, drafting and bidding her time.

The foursome completed the first 2.K loop in 29:44 where it was clearly became a four-person race. Due to the exceedingly warm water and weather conditions, hydration became an important factor in the race. A series of three floating pontoons were set right off the race course where the swimmers’ teammates and coaches were well-positioned to hand them water, Gatorade and gel packs. Stroke for stroke, kilometer after kilometer, the four competitors continued swimming at a punishing, but steady pace.

“I only had a whistle at the girls once,” said Sid Cassidy, the head referee. “It was on the first loop and Kirsten and Micha were just bumping a little too much. I didn’t give them a (yellow-card) warning, but only wanted them to separate a little bit. After that, the race was fair’”

Despite the jockeying for positioning and the boat traffic kicking up exhaust, the swimmers were relatively consistent in their stroke cycles. But, nothing was as consistent as the ability for Micha to draft off of either Chloe or Kirsten. Chloe was estimated to lead the pack for nearly 70% of the first 4 loops with Kirsten pulling the train for 20%. The remaining 10% of the time, either Chloe or Kirsten were making a move towards first, or were falling back to take advantage of the slight stream. But, whether it was loop #1, #2, #3 or #4, Micha was always right there, no further back than a few inches, or at most one foot, off of her competitors who were creating advantageous wakes and fast water for her. “You can save as much as 20% energy by drafting in the position that Micha is doing,” observed Dave Thomas.

The swimmers finished loop #2 in 30:06 as they continued to battle each other. Around the second loop, though, Chloe missed a feed and had to adjust. Kalyn, on the other hand, had some excellent feeds from her coach, John Urbanchek from Club Wolverine. Kirsten and Micha continued with their plans. “I knew Chloe, Kirsten and Kalyn were going to go out strong. I just wanted to have a little extra at the end.”

Loop #3 continued in much of the same manner as the first 5K: Chloe in first, Kirsten in second, Micha in third and Kalyn in fourth, with an occasional change in the lead position between Chloe and Kirsten. With so much at stake, no one was about to give an inch. Numerous times the competitors hit hands or bumped, but only one time during the first loop did head referee Sid Cassidy whistle and warn the competitors to separate.

Rick Walker, a long-time USA National Open Water Team Coach, and Dave Thomas, continued a race commentary from the lead boat throughout the race. This enabled the parents, coaches, teammates and fans who lined the edge of the lake to have a better understanding of the relative positioning of the top swimmers. As the athletes rounded the start area and feeding pontoons after every loop, they were greeted by cheer from their teammates, coaches, parents and fans. Other than that, the only sounds were the steady, smooth arm strokes of the athletes pushing themselves around the 10K course.

By the third loop, the rain had stopped and beautiful rainbows could be seen over the course. Obviously, something special was about to unfold in the final loop. The four girls had swum 7.5K, all at each other’s heels or within 1 stroke of each other. Knowledgeable fans assumed that the race would come down to a sprint between Chloe, one of the world’s hottest open water swimmers over the past summer, Kirsten Groome, another national open water champion and recent winner of a FINA World Cup 10K race, and Kalyn, the well-known silver medalist at the 2007 World Championships. All three are accomplished pool swimmers with the requisite speed and endurance to compete – and beat – the world’s best open water swimmers from Europe, Australia and South America.

But, it was to be unassuming and unheralded Micha’s day.

Coming into the final loop, with a little more than 2 kilometers to go, the race could not be more tactical. Who was going to make a move and when? Chloe was on a roll, but she had led the group for much of the race. Kirsten has the speed, but she had also pulled along her competitors for much of the race. Kalyn, always a dangerous threat, was looming just behind everyone and well-poised to make her move. The spectators waited and wondered: who would bring it home the best?

With less than 2K to go, Micha pulled around Kirsten and started swimming stroke-for-stroke with Chloe in first as she picked up her kick. Kirsten, who trains in Shreveport, Louisiana, stayed right on their heels. Drafting, an acquired skill in open water swimming, was nothing new to these competitors who are all well-schooled in the art. The pace picked up and the threesome surprisingly started to extend their lead over Kalyn. With 1.5K to go, it was Mission Viejo 1-2, but it was still really anyone’s race, including Kalyn who had dropped off about 5 meters from Chloe and Micha.

With a 1K to go, Chloe, Micha and Kirsten rounded the final 3 turn buoys as close as physically possible, but Chloe on the inside track. They were so close that they would occasionally – and inadvertently – hit one other. Both Chloe and Micha went around the first buoy cleanly with Kirsten right at their heels. All three cleared the second turn buoy well, but then Chloe and Micha both took a sharper turn than necessary. Once they realized their error after a few strokes, they slammed into one another, arms interlocked. Both came to a sudden standstill, nearly vertical in the water.

“I was really mad,” recalled Micha. “But, I couldn’t get angry and had to stay calm.” Meanwhile, Kirsten immediately took the lead, but Chloe recovered quickly and they exited the final turn buoy swimming together.

Micha later recalled, “I needed to keep my strokes long and stay on their feet. I wanted to be on the inside (going into the final sprint straightaway). Over the last two weeks. I wrote out my strategy and read it over every day. This is what I was expecting and I couldn’t let this bother me.”

With 600 meters to go, Micha recovered and moved into a three-way tie for first with Chloe and Kirsten. Kalyn had dropped off the pace and it was clear that the top 2 spots would go to these 3 competitors.

With 500 meters to go, Micha continued her powerful kick and put on a spurt that could not be matched by either Chloe or Kirsten. “She looks strong – look at her kick,” observed Rick Walker. Sid Cassidy said, “She has this great kick that was so powerful underwater.”

Micha remembered, “After I settled down, I decided to make a move.” And, her move was indeed spectacular. With 400 meters to go, she had built a lead of at least 5 meters…and it was growing with every stroke. “She really picked up her kick and looked strong out there,” said Paul Asmuth who was on the head referee boat and was instrumental in helping organize a great event along with Jay Thomas, Gregg Cross and a hospitable group of dedicated volunteers.

With 200 meters to go, Micha’s kick and sprint were clearly going to propel her to victory. But, as much as her aerobic conditioning was part of her victory, her level-headed race strategy and drafting enabled her to out-sprint her competition. Throughout the first 8K, she was always swimming totally within someone’s draft and conserving energy. When she decided to make her move, she did – and it was her competition that was unable to react.

As Micha pulled to victory, the race for the second spot on the US team was up for grabs. Chloe and Kirsten were sprinting and kicking as best they could for that coveted Olympic selection spot the final 600 meters. They were essentially even, stroke-for-stroke, as the crowd waited in anticipation. Kirsten put her head down and beat Chloe by a body length.

“I didn’t expect the lead to change so much throughout the race,” said Kirsten. “I made a move at the end and it feels great to qualify. I expect the Americans will do well in Seville.”

As she looked back on her victory, Micha said with a radiant smile, “I took one lap at a time. I wanted to be able to make a move, and to be able to counter any move the other competitors made. Sure we ran into one another, but you have to be prepared for that (in open water swimming). Then, I made a run for it…”

Micha’s run basically started less than 2 years ago when she was swimming occasionally for a masters program in Huntington Beach and studying to be a nurse after graduation from Cal-Berkeley. Encouraged to take up open water swimming seriously, Micha decided to train under Bill Rose at Mission Viejo. Slowly, but steadily, Micha got into shape and traveled the world, from San Francisco to Dubai, in search of the best open water competition she could find. And her journey is not over. Together with Kirsten and her male colleagues who will be selected tomorrow on the same course, the road to Beijing goes through Seville.

The final results of the race are:

Micha Burden (26), Mission Viejo Nadadores, 2:00:47.48
Kirsten Groome (17), First Colony Swim Team, 2:01:05.43
Chloe Sutton (15), Mission Viejo Nadadores, 2:01:09.02
Kalyn Keller (22), Club Wolverine, 2:01:42.15
Christine Jennings (20), Minnesota Aquatics, 2:03:54.94
Eva Fabian (14), Greenwood Memorial Swim Club, 2:03:56.10
Whitney Sprague (20), North Carolina Aquatic Club, 2:04:23.91
Katelyn Martin (17), Magnus Aquatic Club, 2:05:26.76
Erica Rose (25), unattached, 2:06:30.74
Jessica Witt (20), Nova of Virginia Aquatics, 2:06:46.47
Alicia Mathieu (15), SoNoCo Swim Club, 2:06:47.15
Caitlin Warner (20), Rice Aquatics, 2:07:34.16
Elizabeth Stowe (21), unattached, 2:10:12.60
Kelly Baird (15), Winston-Salem YMCA, 2:12:47.86
Nicole Vernon (14), Delaware Swim Team, 2:13:04.45
Leah Gingrich (17), WSY Swimming, 2:14:24.78
Lisa Hazen (43), unattached, 2:18:17.72
Courtney Weigand (17), North Coast Aquatics, 2:19:11.20
Lauren Bailey (22), Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics, DNF
Brittany Massengale (22), Rice Aquatics, DNF

Day: Seventeen
Date: Monday, March 26, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach to Melbourne to Sydney to Home
Theme: Overall Impressions, Written by Steve Munatones

Some impressions that come quickly to mind:

1. The Russians are truly dominating and committed to continuing their domination through 2008 and beyond.

2. The Germans are not far behind the Russians (e.g., 2 German males in the top 5 in the 10K and 2 German females in the top 6 in the 10K).

3. Several other countries are hungry to replicate the Russian and German success.*

4. Newcomers like Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece (bronze in the 10K) and Cassandra Patten of Great Britain (silver in the 10K by 1 second) took the same strategy – go out hard, lead the pack and hang on when more experienced elite swimmers make their final surges.

5. Strategic positioning remains critically important and requires elite racing experience to properly execute.
Mohamed Zanaty of Egypt swam extraordinarily well: 4th in the 10K and bronze in the 25K.

6. Swimming smart gives good results: Yury Kudinov swam much smarter in his victorious 25K in Melbourne compared with his taking a huge early lead at the 2005 Montreal World Championship 25K…and fading out of the money.

7. 37-year-old Marco Formetini of Italy, who earned a silver medal in the 25K, is the world’s fastest masters long-distance swimmer.

8. Britta Kamrau (4th in the 5K by 0.1 seconds, 6th in the 10K finishing 7 seconds from gold, and 1st in the 25K) continues to show her great versatility.

9. Competition in the 5K and 10K is much deeper, faster and more physical than the World Championship races in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

10. Different kinds of feeding sticks are being used than before: all sticks were much longer and more stable than before. Many countries had double holders at the end of their feeding sticks.

11. Most of the top countries had walkie-talkie systems with earphones so none of the other teams could listen in on their conversations during the races.

12. Feeding is critical to success: Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia, the 10K gold medalist, took a gel pack about the 8.2K mark without worrying that he was giving up the lead.

13. The open water coaches of the European teams rarely change. These coaches also appear do very little coaching while on the pool deck – the swimmers just get in and do their workouts with very little interaction by their coaches.

14. The Europeans and Australians do not train much in open water, especially before the competition, primarily because they are constantly doing open water races.

15. Thomas Lurz (5K gold medalist and 10K silver medalist) and Larisa Ilchenko (double gold medalist in the 5K and 10K) used nearly the exact same strategies (i.e., settle in 2nd or 3rd for 80-90% of the race and make their move before the last turn buoy).

16. Europeans do not get flustered with the physical contact inherent in pack swimming.

Interesting note of the day: Russia won the overall open water title with 156 points. Germany was second with 108 points. Australia was third with 54 points. Italy was fourth with 43 points. USA was fifth with 33 points. Czech Republic was sixth with 27 points. Egypt was seventh with 26 points. Great Britain was eighth with 23 points. Netherlands was ninth with 22 points. Spain was tenth with 19 points.

Day: Sixteen
Date: Sunday, March 25, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: Hearts of Heroes, Written by Steve Munatones

Everyone who finished the men’s and women’s 25K race today should be considered a hero: 15-20 knot winds, 64ºF water, surface chop and wind caps throughout the race. First place, last place and everyone in-between.

Britta Kamrau-Corestein, with a 4-minute lead on the staggered women’s start, took it out hard on the first 2.5K loop and extended her lead throughout the race, finishing with a final time of 5 hours, 37 minute, 11.66 seconds. However, the more compelling race was for the silver and bronze. Kalyn Keller, starting 30 seconds behind the second pack of Angela Maurer and a pair of Russian swimmers, Natalya Pankina and Ksenia Popova, quickly caught up with the group.

The four swimmers battled the entire race – back and forth, exchanging leads, doing backstroke and stopping to allow their competitors to take the lead. Yellow cards and whistles during being called throughout the race when the referee judged the combatants were nudging or hitting each other outside the legal bounds. Pankina received a yellow card, as did Kalyn. However, many times, the bumping seemed inadvertent as the winds and waves simply pushed the swimmers into one another.

During the last 5K, everyone tried to throw in a surge to break free. However, Kalyn threw in the last surge that broke the group. Kalyn received a silver medal for her 5 hour 39 minutes 39.62 second effort with Popova 12 seconds behind her and Maurer 9 seconds behind Popova. Coach Rose was on the team walkie-talkie throughout the race to the staff and called an emotional play-by-play over the last 400 meters. “Kalyn is just giddy with joy,” commented Coach Rose as Kalyn crossed the finish and swam easy to shore. Her smiles, as wide and happy as can be, were shared with all her teammates.

Meanwhile, Mark Warkentin and Scott Kaufmann were trying to replicate Kalyn’s success among a tough men’s field. Mark battled into the lead on several occasions, but also fell back as far as 7th and 8th during other stretches. 5K down – and Mark and Scott were still in the hunt. 10K down – and Mark was right there. 15K down – no changes. 20K – and the real race began. First came the surge by the Australian Josh Santacaterina. Then, with 2K to go, Yury Kudinov took charge and stormed to a minute 51-second victory, winning in 5 hours 16 minutes 45.55 over the 25.5K course.

Mark was battling with Marco Formetini of Italy, Mohamed Zanaty of Egypt and Santacaterina of Australia. Over the last 1.5K, Formetini and Zanaty pulled ahead of Santacaterina and Mark to capture silver and bronze respectively. Mark finished fourth in 5 hours 20 minutes 42 seconds, ahead of such renown pro swimmers such as Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria, Stephane Gomez, Brendan Capell of Australia and Maaten van der Weijden of the Netherlands.

Scott, battling hypothermia ever since the early stages of the race, heroically fought his own way through the waves, and finished in 6 hours 5 minutes to the delight and respect of the crowds.

Interesting note of the day: Midway through the race and on, the coaches on the feeding pontoons were cheering everyone on, no matter what the country of the athlete. The camaraderie of the support staff and the mutual admiration for all the athletes were never so apparent under such conditions. Everyone was a champion today.

Day: Fifteen
Date: Sunday morning, March 25, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: Re-play

The starting positions for the second half of the women’s 25K, which will start 5 minutes after the 21 male entrants, are as follows:

Germany Britta Kamrau-Corestein Start at 10:05
Germany Angela Maurer Start at 10:09 (4 minutes behind leader)
Russia Natalya Pankina Start at 10:09 (4 minutes behind leader)
Russia Ksenia Popova Start at 10:09 (4 minutes behind leader)
USA Kalyn Keller Start at 10:09:30 (4:30 behind leader)
Czech Jana Pechanova Start at 10:14 (9 minutes behind leader)
Australia Shelley Clark Start at 10:14 (9 minutes behind leader)
Italy Laura La Piana Start at 10:24 (19 minutes behind leader)
Poland Malwina Bukszowana Start at 10:24 (19 minutes behind leader)
Netherlands Evelien Sohl Start at 10:34 (30 minutes behind leader)

This re-start is an obvious disadvantage to the leader who must swim solo as the rest of the field can draft, pace and navigate off one another to play catch-up. The weather is expected to be sunny with the wind expected to be between 10-20 knots, as reported by the local weather bureau. The last three women will also probably be quickly lapped by the fresh group of 25K male swimmers. Note that the lead group of women swam averaged a little over 32 minutes for each of the first two loops yesterday.

An article in the local Melbourne newspaper summarizes the events of yesterday well: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/03/24/1174597937379.html?from=top5.

Interesting photo of the day: As posted by www.fina.org, Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia, the 2003 world 10K champion, out-touches Thomas Lurz of Germany, the 2004 and 2006 world 10K champion, who were both given the same time of 1 hour 55 minutes 32 seconds. For those new to the sport, please note how both athletes extended themselves towards the finish pad and optimally timed their final stroke. This may appear easy, but requires much practice. Video images of the finish, taken by two cameras posted on the floating timing system, were necessary to decide the winner. This kind of race – where the finish positions are determined by a formal review by FINA officials of the video-taped finish is not only expected in Beijing, but also in Seville at the first pre-Olympic qualifying swim where at least 100 swimmers will be vying for one of the 10 slots available slots reserved for the Olympic 10K final.

Interesting note of the day: Yesterday, Russian athletes not entered in the 25K were tasked with doing the feeding of their female teammates in the 25K instead of entirely depending on the Russian coaching staff. That is one way to build teamwork!

Day: Fourteen
Date: Saturday evening, March 24, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: Women’s 25K Race Day: to be continued
Written by Steve Munatones

The following press release was issued by FINA regarding the suspended women’s 25K race this morning and slipped under the door of Kalyn Keller where she found it after returning from dinner:

Following the stoppage of the women’s 25km open water swimming race of the 12th FINA World Championships due to extreme weather conditions on March 24, 2007, the FINA Bureau decided to re-schedule the race from the stage it was interrupted, after the 5 laps-mark (12.5 km). The swimmers will commence in a staggered start for the remaining 12.5 km in accordance with the times they had after the initial 5 laps. The competition will take place on Sunday, March 25, 2007 at 10h05, after the departure of the men’s race at 10h00 in St-Kilda Beach. According to the latest weather forecast, the conditions for Sunday March 25, 2007 are expected to be fine (sunny), with the wind’s intensity and speed decreasing over the day.

Winds are expected to be 20 knots. According to information on Saturday evening, Germany’s German Britta Kamrau-Corestein will lead off with a 2-minute start, followed by Russia’s Natalya Pankina and Germany’s Angela Maurer and Russia’s Ksenia Popova. Kalyn is scheduled to start 10 seconds after the second group. This decision followed a lengthy discussion between FINA officials. Traditionally, in other open water swims, both of the pro marathon swimming circuit and other FINA races, if the first-place swimmer has finished at least half of the race and the event is called off for safety reasons, then the final results reflect the positions of the swimmers at the point when the race is called.

In a particularly unusual situation, Britta had to chase down a turn buoy that was being moved by the winds and waves. Towards the end before the race was called, swimmers were told to skip going around the turn buoys that had moved too close to a rock jetty.

After the race was called, the coaches on the far feeding station had to be returned to the beach, which was far easier said than done. Paul Asmuth and his coaching colleagues were finally rescued by a flotilla of police cruisers and Australian lifeguard rescue boats. “If someone would just take my bag, it would have just been easier for me to swim to shore,” said Paul, among the most experienced open water swimmers in the world. “When the Omega timing officials left the feeding station (which also served as the finish line official’s station) and headed to shore, it felt like people were abandoning ship,” said Steven Munatones, on the other feeding pontoon. “Towards the end, chairs, ice chests and everything else not battened down was going overboard. But we were not going to leave Kalyn out there. I was going down with the ship / feeding pontoon.”

With the waves and rough conditions, orientation in the open water became very difficult. Russia’s Pankina reportedly said, “The waves were unreal. I couldn't understand anything. I was being tossed back and forth, in every direction, couldn't tell which way - from the back, from the side. It was the first time for me to experience such a swim."

Around the 11K mark, Kalyn stopped 3 times. “I didn’t know which way to go,” said Kalyn. “I couldn’t tell where anyone was.” Over his radio about 700 meters away, Paul encouraged the rest of the team to keep her going. “The race might be called soon. Just make sure she stays in until they call the race.” And, sure enough, Kalyn did. “When the lifeguard grabbed me [after the race was cancelled to pull her inside a lifeguard boat], I didn’t know what he was doing. There was no way I wanted to watch the race from the shore while everyone else was swimming.”

“I saw the start of the race, then I went back to the hotel,” Mark Warkentin said. “When I returned later to watch Kalyn, I thought they were tearing down the place because all the banners and tents were down. But, it was just the weather.”

Mother Nature. Let’s see how kind she is to Kalyn, Mark and Scott tomorrow.

Day: Fourteen
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: Women’s 25K Race Day: cancelled mid-race
Written by Steve Munatones

What started out as a light breeze turned into 40-knot winds and a world championships race cancelled after the lead swimmers passed the half-way point.

40 knots on the Beaufort Wind Scale are defined as somewhere between “a fresh gale that generally impeded progress and breaks twigs off trees” and “a strong gale where slight structural damage occurs”.

Additionally, two different squalls occurred during the first few loops. Turn buoys were being torn off from their anchors and waves were crashing over the feeding pontoons. The swimmers were faced with constant 3-4 foot waves coming from all directions. Towards the end, the race turned into a matter of survival versus racing.

But, Kalyn hung in tough and lasted until the race was called, finishing in 5th position approximately 13 kilometers from the start.

More details after the official results are in.

Day: Fourteen

Date: Saturday, March 24, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: Women’s 25K Race Day
Pre-race beach report, 2 hours before race start:
Written by Steve Munatones

Winds: 5 knots (Beaufort Wind Scale definition: light breeze wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary wind vane moved by wind)
Water Temperature: approximately 67º
Water Conditions: slight surface chop on inside legs, less than 1-foot swells on outer legs, current running against swimmers on 2 legs of rectangular course
Weather Conditions: overcast skies with light rain

Day: Thirteen
Date: Friday, March 23, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: 25K Technical Meeting
Written by Steve Munatones

The technical meeting was held in the Melbourne Town Hall where the FINA Open Water Technical Committee explained the revised course and expected weather conditions for the 25K races this weekend. There will be three major changes:

Because of the expected 10-25 knot winds and rain, there will be no dive start off of a floating pontoon. The start will be a traditional in-the-water start.

One of the feeding pontoons will not be used because of the expected waves caused by the winds. An alternative feeding pontoon will be used that will cause the course to be extended about 50-70 meters per loop. This will lead to an approximate distance of 25.5 kilometers.

Each swimmer will be allowed two coaches in order so the swimmers may have a coach on each of the two feeding stations. Paul Asmuth and Steven Munatones will handle the feedings for Kalyn Keller in the women’s race. Paul and Jim Miller will be on one pontoon and Steven and Jeremy Vail will be on the other pontoon during the men’s race where Mark Warkentin and Scott Kaufmann are entered.

There are 13 entrants in the women’s race with Kalyn Keller’s top competition expected to be the Russians (Natalya Pankina and Ksenia Popova), the German duo (Britta Kamrau, Angela Maurer), an Italian pair (Laura La Piana and Alessandra Romiti), the Dutch swimmer (Evelien Sohl) and the Czech swimmer (Jana Pechanova).

Kalyn will be doing her first 25K swim tomorrow. Her sense of adventure is admirable; her courage and determination are befitting the Olympian she is.

Interesting note of the day: According to the Beaufort Wind Scale, 25 knots equals 28.8 miles per hour winds. This is described as “strong breeze with large tree branches in motion, telephone wires whistle and umbrellas are used with difficulty”. Needless to say, the surface chop is expected to be significant and the footing by the coaches on the feeding pontoons will be precarious as the waves may cause significant movement.

Day: Twelve
Date: Thursday, March 22, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: Warm-down
Written by Steve Munatones

Today, nearly everyone went to the 50-meter pool to do a long warm-down after the competitive 10K. All the athletes, sunburned and sore, did long easy swimming in the 8-lane pool. It was a day of recovery. Tomorrow, the technical meeting for the women’s 25K race on Saturday and the men’s 25K race on Sunday will be held.

One remarkable – and unfortunate – sight was the men’s 10K winner from Russia, Vladimir Dyatchin. Vladimir had wide 10-inch-long lacerations on both his left and right sides running across his rib cages. Just the sight of those cuts made one want to cringe, especially since he apparently received those cuts during the races in cold, salty ocean water where everyone was stung with jellyfish. Dr. Miller stated that the lacerations were so bad that they should have required sutures. To incur – and bear – such wounds during a race, and have the presence of mind to win the most competitive men’s 10K race in recent memory, is truly a feat to behold.

Interesting note 1 of the day: Due to the great number of swimmers who are expected at the first Olympic 10K qualifier in Seville, Spain, there is talk among the coaches and administrators that some kind of qualifying times or preliminary swims are needed. It is impractical to expect over 100 swimmers to do a 10K race in such close quarters.

Interesting note 2 of the day: The Australian press published reports again that Grant Hackett intends to swim in the 10K race in Beijing.

Interesting note 3 of the day: The open water team went to go see the US men’s water polo game versus South Africa this afternoon. The US men’s team won their second game of the tournament in a lead-up to a tough first-round game against Croatia. After the game, the water polo coaches gave their best wishes to their open water colleagues because “we’ve seen your open water races on TV, we’ve all done pier swims and other open water races in California, and we know how tough it is, especially around those buoys

Day: Ten
Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Location: St. Kilda Beach, Melbourne
Theme: Pack Swimming at the Highest Levels
Written by Steve Munatones

The very close and exciting men’s 10K was a very interesting race. For the following reasons, the strategies of the 10K are evolving leading up to the Olympic year:

The lead group included at least 35 swimmers in a tight pack swimming stroke-for-stroke over the first 7.5K. The quality and quantity of men capable of hanging with the world’s best open water swimmers is increasing.
The pace of the first half of the race was fast. Although the conditions were not exactly the same, the American men had a faster time on the first half of their 10K than they did for their 5K race earlier in the week. Given all the physical contact throughout the race, the American swimmers were ideally positioned, sitting somewhere between 2nd and 6th place throughout the first 8K.

53 men started the race by diving from a floating pontoon without problems and on time. America’s Sid Cassidy, as the starter and head of the FINA Open Water Technical Committee, has been doing an excellent job as the starter under the new starting system.

While the American men got a great start and moved to the front of the pack in order to minimize physical contact, breaststroke was the favored stroke of 3 swimmers. These breaststrokers were among the 10 swimmers who did not finish.

The Port Philip Blue Blubbers were in full force, waiting and lurking just under the water’s surface, for the men. The menacing Blue Blubbers (photo to follow) generally float 1-2 feet under the surface of the water, with their harmless heads sticking up towards the surface. However, like the women’s race the day before, when the pack swam over a pod of jellyfish, the Blue Blubbers flip over due to the turbulence. This causes their white thick tentacles to face upwards towards the swimmers. Needless to say, like their female counterparts, the men were stung mercilessly on all parts of their body.

Relatively few men were able to feed off of one of the feeding pontoons due to the great number of swimmers were came in together. Most feeds were missed due to the swimmer’s distance from the pontoon or flailing arms of other competitors inadvertently hitting feeding sticks. The American men missed all of their feedings that were planned on the 2nd and 3rd loops, where a large majority of other swimmers also tried to feed. Observers on the feeding pontoons called the scene something similar to throwing a bloody steak into a pool of hungry sharks. One of the Dutch swimmers, 6’-8” Martin Van Der Weijden, swam at the very back of the lead pack of 35 swimmers and took a relatively leisurely feeding on every loop. He had sufficient fuel in his tank to storm past his competition on the last loop to take 6th overall.

The eventual winner, Russian Vladimir Dyatchin, sprinted out between the 7.5K and 8K mark to temporarily lead the group. He flipped over on his back and completely downed a gel pack. After finishing the gel pack, he settled in third behind Thomas Lurz, the defending champion, race favorite and 5K gold medalist. This move turned out to be one of the key factors to his victory.

When Vladimir surrendered the lead at the 8K mark, Germany’s Lurz unexpectedly found himself in first. Like a cyclist who wants someone else to pull the pack, Lurz started to swim in wide “S” lines in order to encourage others to take the lead. The entire train refused to do so and everyone in the top group started to navigate in wide “S” paths. As Lurz was closing in on the last feeding pontoon, he headed straight for the middle of the pontoon. Only several meters before the pontoon, he swerved and just barely grazed the feeding pontoon. This move helped him shaved off several valuable seconds and put some distance between him and others.

The pace on the last 2K was tremendous, but unfortunately, our American men were not able to hold on. Mark took 20th and Scott took 33rd. They both have one more race – the 25K – on Sunday to complete the hardest and longest schedule of all the American swimmers in Melbourne – an incredible total of 40 kilometers.

Mohammed Zanaty, the top Egyptian swimmers who is trained by a Russian coach, finished fourth. His federation required a top 8 finish in order to continue funding his coaching.
The finish was another classic open water finish in which Russian Dyatchin out-touched Lurz 1:55:32.52 to 1:55:32.58. Like many races, the crowd was yelling and cheering the leaders to the end. But, even after the finish, no one knew exactly what the final placing was. It took a long time to confirm the final results.
Another Russian finished third. The Russian are planning to do another 3 FINA Open Water Grand Prix races before the first Olympic qualifying race in Seville in April 2008.

Interesting note of the day: Word in the open water community has it that nearly 170 swimmers will be entered in the Seville qualifying race. If true, with this number of swimmers, safety must be on the forefront of the race organizers. Some discussions are floating around about some kind of qualifying swims – but these details are to be worked out.

Steve