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Learn all about world-class open water swimming.
▪ Champions, Adventurers, Record Holders and Endurers Champions, Adventurers, Record Holders and Endurers
The International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame attempts to recognize the efforts of the most accomplished swimmers who participate in competitive events and do solo swims. In my opinion, there are four general types of great open water swimmers: 1. The Champions Each of these types of swimmers has significantly added to the annals of open water swimming history. The Champions are those swimmers who are fastest in head-to-head competitions against other great open water swimmers. Abdel Latif Abou-Heif of Egypt in the 1950s, John Kinsella of Indiana in the 1970s, Paul Asmuth of Mission Viejo in the 1980s and, most recently, Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia, are examples of these Champions. The Adventurers are those swimmers who have done unprecedented swims of historical proportions. Lynne Cox’s famous swim across the Bering Straits or Ted Erikson’s 31.5-mile swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California are just two examples of the exploits of these Adventurers. The Record Holders are those swimmers who break records of acknowledged distances. Penny Lee Dean of California and Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria are two accomplished swimmers who set the bar by breaking the English Channel record. While there is always some luck in swimming in the right conditions (currents, wind, water temperature), there is no doubt that these Record Holders are to be held in the highest esteem. The Endurers are similar to The Adventurers and include those swimmers who chose to swim the longest and furthest in terms of absolute distance and/or time. These swimmers include people like Diana Nyad of the U.S. who attempted to swim from Cuba to Florida (in 41 hours and 47 minutes), Suzy Maroney of Australia who did swim from Cuba to Florida in 24 hours and 30 minutes or David Meca who took over 24 hours to swim from Spain to Ibiza. What drives these individuals to push past all mental and physical barriers during these lengthy and difficult swims is the stuff of legends. The Champions, The Adventurers, The Record Holders and The Endurers: they are all worthy of the ultimate admiration in the world of open water swimming.
Click here to return to the list of articles Olympic Pressure in the Open Water
15 (or possibly 16) individuals will qualify for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim finals at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships to be held in May in Seville, Spain. In Seville, the women’s 10K competition will be on May 3rd and the men’s 10K race will be on May 4th, both starting at 10 am. Grant Hackett, the Australian sensation, and others are already in Spain making their final preparations. What will be their race strategy? What kind of swim suit will they wear? When will they feed? What happens if the race pace is fast…what happens if it is slow? So many questions and so little information will make this race fascinating on numerous levels. What is certain is that these races will have 15 (or 16) “winners”. That is, 15-16 men and 15-16 women will earn their automatic spots in the historic first Olympic 10K Marathon Swim. There are 52 athletes entered on the men’s side from 32 countries and 37 athletes on the women’s side from 30 countries. The 10K qualifying race will be held in the Guadalquivir River that runs through the center of Seville, in the southwestern part of Spain. The race is in a closed 2.5K-loop course where the water temperature is expected to be approximately 24°-25°C (75°-77°F). The entire course in the river is between 3 – 8 meters deep with relatively little current and surface chop, unless the winds pick up. The athletes will wear microchip transponders on both of their wrists throughout the race. A dive start will be used from a floating start pontoon. There will also be one feeding pontoon located in the center of the course where one coach will be permitted per swimmer. No boats will be allowed on the course except for boats with the race officials, media representatives and medical personnel. The Who’s Who of open water swimming will be there…all of whom have their own Olympic dreams. If the results from the 2006 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Napoli, Italy are any indication, the 10K races at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships will be extremely exciting and close. 2006 10K Men’s Championships Results 2006 10K Women’s Championship Results Click here to return to the list of articles
Sports fans love filling out their NCAA brackets and predicting what teams will meet in the NBA finals and NFL playoffs. But, these educated and emotional guesses are easy compared to predicting who will qualify for the Olympics in the world’s most pressure-packed race in open water swimming history: the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships. TOP TEN WOMEN / WHY Expect the Unexpected. Click here to return to the list of articles A Bruising New Olympic Sport The Wall Street Journal - original story found here. During an open-water race early this year, a competitor elbowed American swimmer Micha Burden, fracturing her rib -- and underscoring the brutal potential of this little-known sport. Even by the standards of open-water swimming, however, the elbowing is likely to be unusually forceful next month in Seville, Spain. That's because something unprecedented is at stake for those who swim long distances in open water: a shot at Olympic gold. For the first time in more than a century, the Summer Games will feature a long-distance open-water swim, and the top 10 finishers in the men's and women's races in Seville will win berths in the Olympic contest this August in Beijing. "No lines, no lanes. No walls, no mercy. The newest sport at the Olympics," Steven Munatones, a onetime open-water champion, declares on the Web site he recently created called 10Kswim.com. The 10-kilometer race will plug what many aquatic fans regard as the biggest gap in the Summer Games -- the absence of any swimming event longer than 20 minutes. The roughly two-hour swim -- nearly seven times longer than the previously longest swim, the 1,500-meter -- will give marathon swimmers the same chance for Olympic stardom that marathon runners have had since the 1896 advent of the modern Games. The 10K debut comes at a time of growing recreational passion for so-called open-water swimming. In part, this growth reflects the fast-rising popularity of the triathlon, an Olympic event since the Sydney Games of 2000. The triathlon's first leg consists of an open-water swim measuring 1.5 kilometers in the Olympics. Yet open-water swimming is also gaining fans because of its inherent difficulties. Many more people have reached the summit of Mount Everest than have swum across the English Channel. At a time of mounting interest in fitness and adventure, open water increasingly is recognized as the last frontier. Open water presents challenges rarely encountered in the pool: waves, often icy temperatures, the absence of direction-helping lane lines and collisions between swimmers. "It's common for someone to come out of the water with bruises or a black eye," says Paul Asmuth, a former world-champion American marathon swimmer and current coach of the U.S. team. Training is risky as well. Few bodies of water contain safe harbors for open-water swimming. Even more dangerous than currents and sharks are boats and jet skis. To open-water fanatics, the Beijing 10K will seem tame. Instead of a rough sea or a river with currents, it will take place in a lake-like rowing basin built especially for the Games. The race will involve four trips around a 2.5-kilometer course that will likely be free of waves and currents. But enhancing the difficulty of the swim will be fresh water -- salt water adds buoyancy -- and in any case the pursuit of open-water swimming's first Olympic medals is expected to unleash extraordinary aggression. "There's going to be a lot of body contact, and the flatter the water is, the more physical the race will be," says Mark Warkentin, winner of the U.S. 10K trials last October. Swimmers will lather grease on their ankles to keep competitors from pulling on them, he says. Indeed, open-water swimming features an element virtually unknown to pool swimming -- disqualifications for rough-housing. To police the race, referees in boats will line the course. But they can't always see what happens below the surface: The competitor who fractured Ms. Burden's rib received no infraction. To many stars of the pool, open-water swimming is the sport's Wild West. Superstar Michael Phelps said this week he wouldn't consider swimming outside the pool. "Not a chance. No way. I won't swim open water," he said. The field will consist largely of former pool swimmers, because little infrastructure exists for developing open-water specialists among children. Parents of swimmers generally prefer their children to stick to pools. Long-distance swimming dates back to ancient times -- long before the invention of the bicycle -- yet the Olympic 10K swim is making its debut decades later than did long-distance cycling. Blame that on the swimming pool. The Olympics of 1896 included lengthy swims across the icy Aegean Sea. Back then, most swimmers had never laid eyes on a pool. But early in the new century pools proliferated, and the world's premier swimmers essentially abandoned open water. As a sport, swimming became obsessed with scientific measurement -- strokes per lap, milliseconds per turn -- something that is hard to impose on open seas. Indeed, it is likely that no two swimmers of the English Channel have ever swum the exact same distance. Still, open-water swimming persisted. Soloists on the English Channel kept alive the tradition. An eight-mile race across Boston Harbor began in 1908. In 1927, gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. staged a 20-some-mile race on the California coast, inducing 102 contestants to brave chilly waters and strong currents for prize money that totaled $40,000, according to Conrad Wennerberg's "Wind, Waves and Sunburn: A Brief History of Marathon Swimming." In the 1950s, Italy introduced a 33-kilometer swim called Capri-to-Naples. That same decade, Atlantic City, N.J., started the 22.5-mile Around the Island Marathon Swim. By the 1980s, open-water races were common enough that America's Mr. Asmuth could put his accounting business on hold for three months and travel around the world competing, his prize money more than sufficient to cover his expenses. Leaders of the sport created a federation to run races, raise prize money and designate world champions. But the case of Mr. Asmuth illustrates how obscure the sport remained, largely because it had no slot in the Olympics. One of the most accomplished American swimmers of the past half century, Mr. Asmuth won seven world championships, and 15 years after his retirement, one of his records still stands. Yet outside marathon swimming, virtually nobody has ever heard of him. "Had the Olympics had a 10K swim in the '80s, I would have been expected to win it," says Mr. Asmuth, who is now general manager of a California winery called Napa Valley Reserve. After years of lobbying, leaders of the sport persuaded FINA, the century-old regulator of international pool competitions, to embrace open-water swimming. Under FINA's guidance, the popularity of 5K, 10K and 25K championships skyrocketed, putting the sport within reach of its Holy Grail: the Olympics. After a decade of FINA lobbying, the IOC in 2005 agreed to add open-water swimming to the 2008 Games. Since its acceptance as an Olympic event, the sport has become enormously more competitive, gaining the interest of pool stars such as Australia's Grant Hackett. The world-record holder in the 1,500-meter swim, Mr. Hackett won the gold medal in that event in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and hopes to defend that title in Beijing. But he also won his country's 10K trials and is regarded as a likely Olympic medal winner -- assuming he qualifies in Seville. Just as marathon foot races are less predictable than 100-meter sprints, distance swimming is hard to call. In any given race, a dozen or more swimmers are legitimate candidates to win, says Stephen "Sid" Cassidy, chairman of the open-water committee for FINA. America's Ms. Burden illustrates that unpredictability. She never excelled as a pool athlete in college. During her first six 10K swims she failed to finish near the front. But at the U.S. trials last October, staged to determine which two women would go to the qualifying race in Seville, Ms. Burden won the 10K race. Now, a top-10 finish in Spain will guarantee her a shot at Olympic gold. At age 26, she says, "This is the moment I've been waiting for." Write to Kevin Helliker at kevin.helliker@wsj.com Click here to return to the list of articles
Who's Who in Open Water Swimming
From Captain Matthew Webb who first crossed the English Channel in 1875 to Lynne Cox who was the first person to swim in Antarctica, open water swimming has always attracted heroic and risk-taking adventurers. Many, but not all, of these adventurers have been inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF). This 10-part historical series will cover open water luminaries ranging from Keo Nakama, who first crossed the Molokai Channel in Hawaii, to modern-day heroes like Shelley Taylor-Smith. First, a brief introduction of the IMSHOF may be useful to understanding how these great open water athletes were selected. In 1961, the IMSHOF was founded by the Professional Marathon Swimmers Association to recognize the accomplished marathon swimmers. The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida provides similar recognition to the pool swimmers, water polo players, synchronized swimmers, divers, coaches and administrators. Under the direction of Buck Dawson, the ISHOF founder and executive director, the IMSHOF began its affiliation with the ISHOF. Currently, the IMSHOF is governed and administered by Dale Petranech, its chairman and chief historian, and an international 24-member selection committee. The selection committee includes the following individuals:
The IMSOF not only attempts to recognize the efforts of the most accomplished swimmers who participate in competitive events, but also recognizes the efforts of solo swims, where the swimmer battles the elements and unchartered waters. The objectives of the IMSHOF are:
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Two Seconds of Olympic Pressure
In the 10K marathon swimming race, each athlete will be assisted by one coach of their choice. What is it that the coaches do? Why is it so important? And, why is there so much pressure? The history and responsibilities of open water swimming coaches goes back as far as the escort crew of Captain Webb, who was the first person to swim across the English Channel in 1875. Open water swimming coaches not only guide their athletes' training and nutrition on a daily basis, but also formulate race strategy, serve as their eyes and ears and, very importantly, serve them fluids during the 10K. Open water coaches, like their pool counterparts, typically spend hours walking up and down the deck of a pool training their swimmers and oversee their training in a gym for dryland exercises. Additionally, they spend hours walking up and down shorelines or sitting in kayaks, paddleboards or motorized escort boats following their athletes in open water. All these thousands of hours of devotion, strategizing and coaching boil down to a race of less than two hours. And - at least for the coach - this 2-hour race boils down to a few critical seconds. During the 2-hour race, the swimmers will pass their coach, standing on a floating feeding station, four times. The coaches will yell, whistle and cheer for their swimmer on every loop. Each time the swimmers pass the floating feeding station, the coaches will arm themselves with a feeding stick and the athlete's favorite drink. These drinks include Gatorade, fortified water and as many concoctions as there are swimmers. As the coaches lean, kneel and stretch out as far on the race course as possible, the swimmers swing wide of the straight-line course to cruise pass the feeding station. The swimmers have just one shot at grabbing their cups that are delicately cradled on the coaches' feeding stick. Observers have equated the frantic swimmers to hungry sharks leaping for one last bloody piece of a sea lion carcass. Unlike NASCAR drivers who know where their pit crews are located, the swimmers do not know exactly where their coaches are positioned until they see them on the first loop. As the swimmers fight for position coming into their first feeding, they expect the end of their feeding sticks to be slightly above the water's surface, facing just at their preferred angle, so they can quickly reach up and grab their own cup without breaking their stroke rhythm. A missed stroke means losing valuable ground to their competitors where the difference between gold and bronze is often less than 2 seconds. If the coach-swimmer teamwork is successful, the swimmers reach up for their cup, roll on their backs, gulp their drink and resume swimming - all without losing momentum - within 2 seconds. Meanwhile, the coaches themselves are being pushed and jostled by other coaches trying to reach their own athletes at the optimal position. Like a Tokyo subway train, there is only so much space and too many people. In other words, the coaches have no more than 2 seconds to position their feeding stick at the water's surface, hold and release the swimmer's cup at the optimal position, and then retrieve their feeding stick without hitting any competitors. Despite the coach's best efforts and years of experience, when a large pack of swimmers come flying into the feeding station together, the coaches face additional problems. Sometimes, swimmers may grab or inadvertently hit other swimmer's feeding sticks or spill their competitor's cups. In these cases, no apologies are made...both swimmers and coaches simply chalk it up to bad luck and poor timing. Second, if a pack 3, 4 or 5 swimmers wide come into the feeding station together, the feeding stick simply cannot reach the swimmer who is positioned furthest from the feeding station. In those cases, the swimmer usually turns up the course and accepts the unfortunate situation. Third, when a very large group of swimmers heads towards the feeding station, all splashing and swimming very close to one another, the only thing that can be positively identified is a...very large group of swimmers splashing and thrashing close to one another. This is especially true with the men, who often remove their swim caps during races in warm water. Occasionally, as coaches stretch the feeding stick out to the thrashing pod of athletes, they notice their swimmers are in a different position and swimming away from the feeding station. Occasionally, tempers flare and expletives in numerous languages can be heard; sometimes directed at others, sometimes direct at themselves. Yet, an unwritten gentlemen's code of conduct is strictly followed at the feeding stations because every open water coach knows that if he or she were to fall in the water and disturb another swimmer, his or her own swimmer would be immediately disqualified. The coach's formula is pretty simple. 3 feeds x 2 seconds each x 100% accuracy = potential Olympic gold. In other words, 4 years of standing on pool decks, 4 years of walking along shorelines, 4 years of plotting strategy, 4 years of traveling the world to competitions - and the coach's best efforts can go up in smoke within 2 seconds. So the pressure is on - the coaches. Click here to return to the list of articles. Olympic 10K Open Water Favorites
The anticipation over the first Olympic 10K marathon swimming race is building among aquatic aficionados. Who is going to knock off Australia's Grant Hackett, the fastest and most dominant distance swimmer in history? Is Hackett going to push the pace and challenge everyone to match his abilities, especially over the last 1000 meters where he is demonstrably the fastest swimmer by far? Is Hackett going to sit back and bid his time, playing with the field until the last 2.5K loop, like he did at the 2007 Australian Open Water Championships? Is he going to make sure he is the first person to the last buoy, preventing anyone from going around his 6'-8" (197 cm) frame? Even if he is not leading in the final sprint, can any open water swimmer match the speed of the 4th fastest 200-meter swimmer or the 2nd fastest 400-meter swimmer of all time? In the words of ESPN's Chris Berman, "that's why they play the game." The incredibly tough and cagey Russian Vladimir Dyatchin is not traveling the world to defend his world's 10K titles just to settle for a silver medal. The indomitable open water warrior from Germany, Thomas Lurz, is not training hard every day and aiming for a bronze medal. They all know one maxim is true in open water: Expect the Unexpected. But how are the world's most experienced open water swimmers going to compete against a mountain of a man who can outsprint them over any given short distance and outlast them over any given long distance? Firstly, the water and weather conditions will be warmer than anything that Hackett has recently faced - and he traditionally swims in a full body suit - which may increase his core body temperature to unfamiliar levels. Secondly, is Dyatchin's teammate going to serve as a domestique for his Russian partner? Is Lurz going to benefit from his German teammate protecting him on one side and helping him around the turn buoys? Some open water swimming observers say ‘yes' to both questions. Of course, nothing is preventing Hackett and his Australian mate, Ky Hurst, from working together to optimize Hackett's position in the lead pack. Thirdly, Hackett will be a marked man and he will be too large a target, both literally and figuratively, to escape notice throughout the race. Any time Hackett makes a move, his competitors will undoubtedly react. Fourthly, Dyatchin, Lurz and their counterparts are battle-worn open water swimmers; with literally kilometers of experience fighting through leg pulls, elbow swings and underwater retaliations during 10K races around the world. If Hackett is caught on the inside or squeezed in the middle between surging competitors, can he keep his composure and simply swim away? Some believe a dark horse is going to pull off an incredibly exciting sprint to become the first Olympic 10K gold medalist - and for the top 10 athletes to finish within 6 seconds of the eventual winner. Click here to return to the list of articles. Olympic 10K Open Water Darkhorses - The Men
As the men's favorites from Australia, Russia and Germany enter the Shunyi Olympic Rowing Park for the 10K swim, all eyes of the aquatic world and the NBC cameras will be on Australia's Grant Hackett, Russia's Vladimir Dyatchin and Germany's Thomas Lurz. But there will be other swimmers who are capable of stealing the gold from their more renowned competitors. A crash around the last turn buoy, overheating in humid conditions, a mix-up at the feeding station or a red card disqualification is all it takes for one of the darkhorses to win. Egypt's top medal hopeful, Mohamed El Zanety, Greek's fastest swimmer, Spyridon Giannotis, Britain's cagey Alan Bircher, or the American duo of Chip Peterson and Mark Warkentin, will be ready to take advantage of any mistake and pounce into the position to capture gold. Indeed, even Grant Hackett's own teammate, Ky Hurst, and Dyatchin's teammate, Evgeny Drattsev, will be baiting their opponents, plotting their own strategies, constantly drafting and battling into the optimal positions for the final sprint. One tactical error, one missed feeding, one poor turn around a buoy, one kick in the gut...and dreams of Olympic gold will be gone. If any of the favorites plan to take off right from the start, it will be a risky strategy. Will any one swimmer - or a pair of teammates from the same country - risk taking off on a punishing pace early in the race to build a seemingly insurmountable lead? Can anyone - or pair of countrymen like Hackett and Hurst - or even two fierce competitors like Hackett and Lurz - forge into a huge lead and then hope to have enough to hang on? This strategy might be something Hackett and Hurst contemplate given the success of Melissa Gorman at the 2008 Australian Open Water Swimming Championships, but history tells us that kind of strategy is generally a failed one. Just ask Britain's Alan Bircher who took it out extremely strong and built a 2+ minute lead at the 7.5K point at the 2004 World Open Water Swimming Championships...only to be caught at the end by a surging pack. If it comes down to a photo-finish, who better to out-touch Hackett than 6'-9" Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands who always cruises behind the leaders and is notorious for turning on the jets in the last 500 meters? If Hackett's goggles get inadvertently torn off...if Dyatchin misses his feedings...if Lurz finds himself pitched in - or elbowed - around the last buoy, the gates to Olympic glory are open to many. But, who will it be: Egypt's El Zanety? Greece's Giannotis? Britain's Bircher? Australian Hurst? The Netherlands' van der Weijden? Or one of the Americans, Peterson - a Tarheel who grew up along the North Carolina coast or Warkentin - a Trojan who lives near the beaches of Santa Barbara? Stay tuned for the expected photo finish about 11:50 am Beijing time on August 21, 2008. Click here to return to the list of articles. No Harm, No Foul - Reffing Open Water Swimming
Come August 2008, 25 open water athletes will swim 10 kilometers - four 2.5K loops on the Olympic rowing course, fighting around dozens of turn buoys, swimming in and out of feeding stations, and finishing in a frantic rush to touch pads raised a few feet above the water. If the race unfolds as expected, the 25 athletes will swim in a large tight pack, each close enough to not only rip the goggles right off the heads of each other, but also to snatch the gel packs that swimmers use for nourishment during the race snuffed inside their competitors' swim suits. The 25 athletes all have their own dreams and expectations: Dreams of Olympic glory...and expectations of getting hit, bumped, pulled, banged, elbowed, kneed, cut off, scratched and jostled throughout the race. So, how do refs keep order in open water? Are fouls, penalties or disqualifications called? The head referee and the assistant referees are positioned in boats along the course and work hand-in-hand with their boat drivers who navigate as directed by the referees. The other judges are positioned near the turn buoys and two feeding stations, respectively. The head referee positions himself as close as possible to the second and third swimmers in the lead pack and makes himself visible to everyone in the lead pack by standing and intensely watching the swimmers for the entire 2-hour race from the bow of his boat. If there are windy conditions, the driver will attempt to position the boat so the swimmers are not a position to breathe the suffocating exhaust fumes from the motor. The driver also constantly balances proximity to the swimmers with minimizing the disruptive wake of the boat on the swimmers. The assistant referee positions himself further back in the lead pack in a separate boat, constantly watching for rule infractions. Because the first 2-3 loops of the 4-loop 10K race will probably include all 25 entrants at the Olympics in one large tightly bound pack, you will see 2 referee boats positioned only a few meters from the entire pack - the head referee towards the front, and the assistant referee towards the back. What are the possible infractions? Under the general unsportsmanlike rule, athletes can be disqualified for making intentional contact, obstruction or interference with another swimmer. Such unsportsmanlike conduct is judged solely by the head referee. But with swimmers constantly bumping each other, the referee's key consideration is if the contact was intentional or not. A very high majority of the occurrences are simply unintentional instances of contact that do not require intervention by the referees and are an integral part of the sport. On the other hand, when swimmers are swimming too aggressively, the referees quickly become pro-active and try to mitigate further escalation of inappropriate physical altercations among the swimmers. Warning whistles and directives given by hand motions are repeatedly used by the referees. For example, when three swimmers are swimming together and the two outside swimmers start to squeeze the middle swimmer, the referee will blow his whistle and give hand signals to instruct the two outside swimmers to separate and give the middle swimmer some room. On the other hand, if swimmers lock arms while swimming stroke for stroke or run into each other during the crush around the turn buoys, the referee generally judges this contact to be unintentional. While most physical contact among the swimmers is viewed as accidental or part of the sport, there is a subjective element that is entirely dependent upon the referee's experience and perspective. Can athletes be disqualified? In general, whistle warnings are given fairly frequently throughout the race - perhaps 2-4 times per loop during a relatively "clean" race and 5-10 times per loop during a more aggressive race. On the second infringement, the swimmers are shown a red flag and a card bearing their number, and they can be asked to immediately leave the water. So what kind of race is expected in the Olympics? It will be an extremely tactical and close race, carefully monitored by the head referee and his crew. Whistles and yellow cards will add to the excitement of the race...and hopefully, no red cards will be issued. Click here to return to the list of articles. Olympic Open Water Racing History
25 men and 25 women will compete in the first Olympic 10K open water swim race on August 20-21, 2008. But, the history of open water swimming at the Olympics goes back a long, long way. Click here to return to the list of articles. Qualifying For The Olympic Marathon Swim
Similar to cyclists in the Tour de France, marathon swimmers compete in very close proximity to one another, swimming most of the course in a large pack. While a few swimmers will try to break from the pack as the race progresses, the race will culminate in a fast and furious finish as the athletes sprint for the gold, silver and bronze...and places #4 through #25. 2. All countries may only qualify a maximum of two athletes per swimming event in the Olympics, including the 10K Marathon Swimming event. Click here to return to the list of articles.
The Olympic 10K Swimming Marathon will be held at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park which is located a distance away from the main Olympic stadium and village. And, quite exciting for the athletes, will be the cheering thousands of fans who will enjoy one of the more reasonably priced events on the Olympic menu. Click here to return to the list of articles. Why Do Open Water Swimmers Do It?
"I wanted a T-shirt that says ‘USA National Team'. It turned out to be a very smart decision." "I participated in my first open water race because my coach at the time thought it would be something fun for me to do the day after pool-Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Even though I was challenged and frustrated during that first race, I enjoyed the experience and liked swimming in an environment where I felt more free and comfortable than I did in the pool. I eventually moved up in distance from the 5K to the 10K and then on to longer races, and I found that the longer the distance, the better I seemed to do. I think the other main component that kept me interested in open water swimming was the opportunity I had to travel and to meet new people through the sport. Over the years, I've developed some of my best friendships through the sport of open water swimming, and the people and places I've gotten to know are definitely one of the main reasons I continue to swim!" Click here to return to the list of articles.
Swimming Smart Leads to Victory
Click here to return to the list of articles. USA Olympic Open Water Trials - Men
Hold On. Hold Fast. Hold Out.
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. 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). Click here to return to the list of articles. Olympic Swimmer Kalyn Keller Retires
Kalyn's retirement will be sorely missed in the aquatic community. Her infectious smile, her racing tenacity and her joy for the sport were known by all her teammates, coaches and competitors. Kalyn’s silver medal swim in the 25K event at the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne is a story worth re-telling. Despite never before having swum this distance (16 miles), Kalyn entered this swim as America’s sole entrant against the world’s best and most experienced open water swimmers. During the first half of the race, a series of unexpected squalls hit Melbourne with winds hit 40 knots. The swimmers on the race course were tossed around and could barely be seen in the torrential downpour that fell from the skies. Turn buoys were torn from their anchors and waves crashed over the feeding pontoons and pier. The swimmers fought heavy surf coming from all directions. Around the 11K mark, Kalyn stopped three times. Orientation in the open water under such conditions became extremely difficult. “I didn’t know which way to go,” said Kalyn. “I couldn’t tell where anyone was.” Yet Kalyn continued to forge on. Comments from her teammates and competitors also partly told the story of what Kalyn faced. “I saw the start of the race, then I went back to our 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.” The Russian bronze medalist 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." Because the swim had turned into a matter of survival versus racing, the officials decided to postpone the event about the 13K mark. After the race was called, coaches had to be rescued from the feeding station on the course by a flotilla of police cruisers and Australian lifeguard rescue boats. Chairs, ice chests and everything else not battened down went overboard. “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,” said Kalyn. “There was no way I wanted to watch the race from the shore while everyone else was swimming.” To put the race conditions in perspective, the swimmers faced 40-knot winds which are defined on the Beaufort Wind Scale as somewhere between “a fresh gale that generally impeded progress and breaks twigs off trees” and “a strong gale where slight structural damage occurs”. After the race was postponed, the race officials decided to re-start the race from the halfway point the following day…when the winds were expected to “only” be 20 knots. The remaining women – after several athletes had voluntarily quit during the first half of the swim – re-started in the same position as they finished the first half of the race in staggered starts. Germany’s eventual gold medalist lead off with a 2-minute lead, followed by 2 Russians and another German. Kalyn started 30 seconds after the second German. So, after facing the most frightening aquatic experience in her life, Kalyn had a fitful night of sleep, listening to constant rain and wind battering her hotel room that faced the beach where the race occurred. Yet, she agreed to start with the rest of the participants and encountered 15-20 knot winds, 64ºF water, constant surface chop and endless wind caps throughout the last 12.K. With the staggered start, Kalyn quickly caught up with the Russians and German, for she definitely did not want to swim alone in rough seas. The four swimmers battled the entire race – back and forth, exchanging leads, surging forward and slowing down to allow their competitors to take the lead. Disciplinary yellow cards were issued by issued by the race referee and whistles were called when the referee judged the combatants were nudging or hitting each other outside the legal bounds. Kalyn was the recipient of some illegal bumping and pulling, but she also received a yellow card. Despite the whistles and yellow cards, much of the bumping seemed inadvertent as the winds and waves simply slammed the swimmers into one another. During the last 5K, everyone tried to throw in a surge to break free. But, it was Kalyn who threw in the last surge that broke the group. Kalyn received a silver medal for her 5 hour 39 minutes 39.62 second heroic effort. “Kalyn is just giddy with joy,” commented head coach Bill Rose as Kalyn crossed the finish and swam happily to shore. Her smiles, as wide and happy as can be, were shared with all her teammates. Kalyn has already faced Mother Nature once and come out victorious in Melbourne. Back in Arizona, all her teammates, friends and coaches expect a similar victory over Crohn's disease and look forward to her return as the cheerful, playful and joyful person she was, is and always will be. Click here to return to the list of articles.
The first major marathon swimming contest of the Olympic year got underway in Santos, Brazil at the first leg of the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup. The world’s most dominant open water swimmer, Larisa Ilchenko of Russia caught high school senior American Kirsten Groome with 500 meters to go and sprinted to a 1.7-second victory with a final surge in the last 25 meters. The teenage multi-time world marathon swimming champion played her well-worn card of tricks just perfectly as she let Karley Stutzel of Canada lead the first part of the race, followed by a large pack of tightly bound swimmers, including the top two German swimmers, Angela Maurer and Britta Kamrau Corestein. Groome from Shreveport, Louisiana was caught in the middle of a large pack during the first loop of the 10K ocean course. Realizing her mistake, she sprinted along the outside of the pack of 15 women and gradually pulled herself up to fifth place by the feeding station at the 7.5K mark. As she quickly downed a cup of Gatorade, she pulled up to striking distance of Sutton, Ilchenko, Maurer and Corestein. “The pace wasn’t that fast, but I felt really good so I took the lead with about 2200 meters to go,” recalled Groome. The top women must have been swimming pretty fast because they caught the trailing men who had left ten minutes before the women’s start. Gradually, Groome and Ilchenko made it a 2-person race over the next 2K. “With 500 (meters) to go, Larisa moved up even with me, but I had no idea where the finish was,” said Groome. “We kept on going back-and-forth with each, trying to outsprint each other. I breathe on both sides, and she was on my right. When I started to breathe to my left, she saw the finish and put her head down. With only 25 meters to go, I had no time to respond and she beat me by a second and a half.” Meanwhile Groome’s other American teammate, Micha Burden, was injured by a flailing knee (or elbow) to the chest around the 6K mark, causing a bruised lung that could have led to a serious mishap in the Atlantic. Fortunately, the safety patrol was quick to offer assistance to Burden who stopped swimming momentarily and very slowly finished the race – where she was greeted by a paramedic and put on oxygen after being carried to the medical tent. At the Olympic qualifying swim in Seville, Spain in May, it will be Groome and Burden who will represent the hopes of the American team…and they will both find themselves facing the same Ilchenko who has never lost either a 5K or a 10K race at the 2004, 2005, 2006 or 2007 World Championships. On the men’s side, Italy's Valerio Cleri captured the men's race over 54 competitors. But, confusion reigned among the top 15 men who finished after Cleri. There were no standard FINA finish pads on floating pontoons and the finish procedures were not clearly defined. Volunteers were assigned to judge who finished in what place and lead the finishers up the beach. When 11 men came charging to the finish together, splashing and thrashing, kicking and sprinting, in waist-high water, it was naturally difficult to clearly define the actual results. As it turned out, the top 10 men were timed within 10 seconds of one another, including Mark Warkentin of Santa Barbara and Fran Crippen of Mission Viejo. Despite the confusion on the men’s side among the top finishers, Cleri clearly established himself as another favorite, alongside Australia’s Grant Hackett, Germany’s Thomas Lurz and Russia’s Vladimir Dyatchin, to win the first Olympic 10K marathon swimming gold medal in Beijing. Click here to return to the list of articles. Shelley Taylor Smith - FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee
The FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee is an influential, passionate group of individuals who set the rules and policies of open water swimming, promote open water swimming worldwide via the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup and the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix, and have supported the International Olympic Committee to add marathon swimming to the Olympic schedule. Click here to return to the list of articles. Sid Cassidy - FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee
Who Organizes Marathon Swimming? Mr. Open Water The rules and organization of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim, the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit and the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit are set by the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee. FINA is the world’s governing body of aquatics (pool swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, open water swimming and masters swimming). If there is anyone who embodies the sport of open water swimming, it is Sid Cassidy, currently the chairman of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee. Dedication Perseverance. Vision. Leadership. These are just a few of the words that capture the essence and character of Cassidy. Cassidy honed his open water skills at the Avon-Lake Boat Club in Lansdale, Pennsylvania under legendary coach Bob Mattson in the early 1970’s. He went on to an All-American collegiate career at North Carolina State University and a stellar lifeguard career with the Ocean City (NJ) Beach Patrol where he was introduced to professional marathon swimming. He was ranked #4 in the world in 1979 and participated in marathon swims in Chicago, Atlantic City, Canada and Egypt while he was also starting his professional swim coaching career. Similar to Bill Russell with the Boston Celtics, who was the player-coach of the NBA champions, Cassidy pulled off an unprecedented double stint in the English Channel. In 1990, while coaching the USA Swimming National Open Water Team, he also swam on the six-member team that set three records for the fastest English-to-France crossing, the fastest France-to-England crossing, and the fastest double crossing that all still hold today. Thereafter, Cassidy became the USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Team head coach for five years from 1991-1996. During this period, he coached Jay Wilkerson and Samantha Chabotar to national championships from his own club while he also escorted American medalists at various FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships and World Cup events. Subsequently, he served as the race director for six international marathon swimming events from 1999 to 2004, and was instrumental in promoting the 10-kilometer distance as the founder of “The 10K for the USA” first held in September 2002. That World Cup event served an early example of how FINA 10K races can host large number of elite athletes and provide thrilling opportunities for spectators to enjoy. However, Cassidy’s greatest legacy will result from his role on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee where he has served since 1996. Together with members Dennis Miller from Fiji and Chris Guesdon from Australia, he promoted the Olympic model that will be used for the first time this summer in Beijing. In 2006, he was appointed to chair the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee where he works with national federations worldwide to help develop and guide the sport to its current status and the first Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing. Cassidy has worked tirelessly to establish, disseminate and promote the rules and regulations that currently govern the sport. He was chosen as the starter and head referee for the first World Championship race that used a floating start pontoon. He educates referees and officials on how to correctly and consistently interpret the rules during competition. He is truly one of the unsung heroes of open water swimming. While the athletes, coaches and administrators of the sport know Cassidy well, sporting fans and media representatives will see Cassidy call the 10K swimmers to the starting pontoon this summer and oversee the first Olympic Marathon Swim at the Beijing Olympics. Click here to return to the list of articles.
They are photogenic. They are incredibly physically fit. They smile brightly and wave enthusiastically to the crowds before and after their races. They hug each other after their races are over. They give great interviews with thoughtful answers. So nice. So gracious. So accommodating. So admirable. But when the gun goes off at the 10K marathon swim start, a dramatic change occurs. Adrenaline kicks in. Competitive juices start to flow. Intensity skyrockets. When the race begins, the female marathon swimmers shed every veneer of innocence and turn into the ultimate athletic warriors. Their competitive spirit would make any NFL head coach, boxing trainer or boot camp sergeant proud. If the world’s media can capture these athletes and their intensity on TV, in photos and in print, the sport will continue its growth and increase its popularity. That being said, the sport may be wise to immediately clean up the unsportsmanlike tactics currently being employed more and more often by overly ambitious and unscrupulous athletes. For example, at the first FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup race in Santos, Brazil in the 2008 season, Micha Burden, one of America’s brightest Olympic hopefuls, was kicked so hard that her rib was fractured and her lung was bruised. Similarly, Chip Peterson of North Carolina was purposefully impeded twice by a double pull-back during the final sprint to the finish. Unlike Micha, Chip sustained no injuries, but the end result was the same: a top American swimmer was knocked out of medal contention through the unsportsmanlike actions of their competitors. Fortunately, Micha is recovering and will be able to face her adversaries goggle-to-goggle in Seville at the upcoming 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships, which is effectively the Olympic semifinals for marathon swimming. She, like her competitors, will go up to the starting blocks with a smile. We all hope it ends with a victory smile. Click here to return to the list of articles.
Similar to Grant Hackett on the men’s side, Russia’s Larisa Ilchenko looms large over her competition and is considered to be the overwhelming favorite in the women’s 10K marathon swim. Since Ilchenko burst on the open water swimming scene in 2004, she has established the most impressive track record of success of anyone in the sport. Her versatility has been evident in numerous venues and in every possible body of water. From a flowing river in Dubai in 2004 to a flat-water rowing basin in Montreal in 2005, the warm Mediterranean Sea in Naples in 2006 and the cold Pacific Ocean in Melbourne in 2007, Ilchenko’s world championship victories are a testament to her endurance, closing sprint speed, navigational IQ and savvy racing tactics. Her strategy is simple and classic…and it ultimately leads to exciting, made-for-TV close finishes. For the first 5-7K, Ilchenko lurks around in the lead pack, jabbing and fading like a skilled boxer. She never leads and always drafts inches from her competitors in front of her. She rarely lifts her head to look forward and has mastered fast, efficient feedings at the feeding stations or while taking gel packs from her swim suit. Once the lead pack starts to thin out and separate itself from the rest of the competitors, Ilchenko generally moves up to the second, third or fourth position, never much more than a body distance from the leader. After the 8K, if any swimmer makes a break, or tries to, Ilchenko instinctively follows, hanging on right behind her competitor’s feet or immediately somewhere off to the side between their hips and feet. Generally, as the remaining lead swimmers approach the last turn buoy, Ilchenko moves into position towards the lead. Either right before or immediately after the last turn buoy, she steps up her pace and catapults herself into the lead or a dead tie with the leader. Then, because she has conserved more energy than her competitors throughout the race with her classic drafting technique, she begins her final kick, often brushes up against her foe until her last move within 25-50 meters from the finish. From 2004 when she played out her strategy to perfection over Florida’s Sara McLarty in the 5K World Championships to 2007 when she mowed down Cassandra Patten of the U.K. Ilchenko has constantly demonstrated her patience and sense of the dramatic in all her 5K and 10K world championship victories. However, with an Olympic gold medal on the line in Beijing, Patten, Melissa Gorman of Australia, Edith van Dijk of the Netherlands and Kirsten Groome of Shreveport, Louisiana are only a few of the top swimmers who are going to push Ilchenko to her limits. These swimmers, all top pool swimmers in their respective countries, have the speed and endurance to upset the gold medal favorite. Come August 20th 2008, we’ll see if Ilchenko finishes this Olympic quadrennial like the Miami Dolphins in their undefeated 1972 season – or like the New England Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl. Click here to return to the list of articles.
25 men and 25 women will compete in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing’s Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. There will be an anticipated 25,800 spectators watching the marathon swimmers go four loops around the rowing basin. The roar of the crowd, the excitement of walking to the starting pontoon and the Olympic pressure will create memories of a lifetime. But, only 50 of the world’s best marathon swimmers will experience this special event. For the rest of us, what kind of open water events are available? There are several events that capture the allure and excitement of open water swimming and are indicative of the sport’s growth. There are several events that capture the allure and excitement of open water swimming and are indicative of the sport’s growth. The La Jolla Rough Water Swim (www.ljrws.com), known as America’s Premier Rough Water Swim, began in 1916 when 7 men swam 1.7 miles in the beautiful La Jolla Cove near San Diego, California. By 1925, 8 men and 11 women swam the race. By 1950, 105 swimmers entered. In 1984, over 1,000 swimmers entered. In 1998, 2,255 swimmers participated, but in 1999, a cap of 2,000 was placed on the number of swimmers in order to maintain the high standards of the organizing committee. The Waikiki Roughwater Swim (www.wrswim.com) is a gorgeous 2.4-mile swim that crosses Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, now in its 38th year. It is not only the inspiration behind the 2.4-mile swim leg of the Ironman Triathlon, but it has grown to attract participants of all ages and backgrounds from dozens of countries and every state. In 1970, the race saw 4 women and 32 men swim across Waikiki. By the mid-1980s, over 800 people annually enter the race. The Maui Channel Swim (www.mauichannelswim.com) is a 9.6-mile six-person relay race from the island of Lanai to the island of Maui in Hawaii. The race, started as a competition in 1972 between the Waikiki Swim Club and the Olympic Club of San Francisco, has now grown to over 60 teams of six and dozens of solo swimmers from numerous states, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. The Rottnest Channel Swim (www.rottnestchannelswim.com.au) is an annual 20-kilometer race between Cottesloe Beach to Rottnest Island, near Perth, in Western Australia. It has attracts swimmers between the ages of 13 to 72. The Rottnest Channel Swim informally began in 1987 when four men in their forties, sustained by water and bread, swam the channel. The following year, 12 people made the swim. By 2006, an online entry process was introduced where the number of entries for 2- and 4-person teams and solo swimmers was open for 7 days, attracting 3,910 entries. An electronic random ballot was then conducted to determine which 2,300 swimmers would participate. The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim (www.bayswim.com) is an annual 4.4-mile swim across Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. In 1982, a 21-year-old local swimmer was the first to cross the Chesapeake Bay in memory of his father. In 1983, two swimmers entered the first official race and 60 swimmers participated in the second year. The swim grew to 870 entrants by 1990, with finishers ranging from 12 to 76 years old. In order to maintain high safety standards, the organizing committee now limits the race to 600 swimmers. It takes less than 18 minutes for the entire field of 600 swimmers to be filled up using the current online entry system. The Midmar Mile (www.midmarmile.co.za), held in the Midmar Dam in South Africa, is the largest open water swimming race in the world. From Olympic medalists to average swimmers between the ages of 10 and 83, the event has drawn as many as 17,352 entrants, a huge increase from 1973 when three friends swam across the dam. Due to the large number of entrants, the swimmers are separated into 8 different heats, separated by 2 minute starts. The 1.2-kilometer Lorne Pier-to-Pub Swim in Portsea, Australia started as a challenge between lifeguards. It officially started in 1981 when 100 people entered the first race. The race is now capped at 4,000 participants, despite the relatively cold water (low 60 degrees). The first “Swim from Alcatraz” event (The Alcatraz Challenge - www.alcatrazchallenge.us) was held in 1983 with fewer than 100 participants. In 2007, there are now 7 annual 1.5-mile races, each of which sells out months in advance. Nearly 6,000 participants from all over the world travel to San Francisco to test themselves against the 55° waters and powerful currents. Swim Trek (www.swimtrek.com) is a swimming adventure vacation operator, running week-long swimming tours to Croatia, Greece, Malta, Germany, Turkey, the British Isles, Italy and the British Virgin Islands. The vacationers swim from island to island or go lake-hopping following routes of cultural, historical and geographical significance. Founded in 2003, Swim Trek offered 10 trips. In 2008, they expect to host over 1,200 swimmers on one of their 100+ tours. One of the fastest and most prestigious races on the annual open water swimming calendar is the RCP Tiburon Mile (www.rcptiburonmile.com) where over 400 age-group and collegiate swimmers compete with Olympians and world champion swimmers from over 20 countries, including Russia, Australia, South Africa, Italy, Brazil, Mexico and Canada. Additionally, there are dozens of other major open water swimming events around the world, ranging from the annual Fun Swim in the Sea of Galilee in Israel to Sports Day Swim in Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, where thousands of local residents participate in non-competitive swims between 1 and 4 kilometers. Click here to return to the list of articles. Composition of World-Class Marathon Swimmers
The following information, based on information from world open water swimming championship races held in Dubai in 2004, Montreal in 2005, Naples in 2006, and Melbourne in 2007, was compiled by British Swimming:
Click here to return to the list of articles. From Fiji To Beijiing - A Spotlight On Dennis Miller
Open water swimming events are often held in beautiful tropical paradises. The FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit holds races in Cancun. The Waikiki Roughwater Swim is held off of Diamond Head in Hawaii. The La Jolla Rough Water Swim is held in the cobalt blue waters near San Diego. Fiji is another location where open water swims are held in incredibly clear blue seas. Natalie Coughlin, the 5-time Olympic medalist and world record holder in the 100 backstroke, took time off to participate in Fiji’s Beachcomber Islands Swims (http://www.fijiswims.com). She was joined by well-known Olympic swimming luminaries like Shane Gould and John Konrads of Australia and Danyon Loader of New Zealand. Similar to the way Natalie is seen as a role model for pool swimmers, Dennis Miller is considered by many to be a fixture in the world of open water swimming. Over the years, Dennis has traveled the globe from his base in Suva, Fiji to promote and organize the fledging sport of open water swimming. Working quietly and tirelessly as a volunteer, his commitment to the sport knows no bounds. As President of Fiji Swimming, Dennis joined the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee in 1996 and has become a key member, overseeing the sport’s growth over the past decade, culminating in the introduction of the 10K Marathon Swim in the Beijing Olympics. During his tenure on the Committee, Dennis and his colleagues have added the 5K and 10K events to the FINA World Swimming Championships (previously, only the 25K was included in the world championships), developed the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix (with races between 15-88 kilometers) and the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup. He has also helped standardize rules of the sport and integrate the latest timing technologies from Omega Timing. Over the years, Dennis has traveled to most of the sport’s major races, from Perth to Serbia and nearly everywhere in between. One of the most memorable races he saw was the 2003 world 25K championship off the coast of Barcelona where the defending Russian world champion led the field for the first 22 kilometers only to be caught by a USC graduate from Spain and the current English Channel record holder from Bulgaria. The Russian, Spaniard and Bulgarian sprinted the last 3 kilometers stroke-for-stroke only to end in a photo-finish to the roaring delight of the pro-Spanish crowds. Dennis has also witnessed the ultra-marathon river swims in Argentina where thousands of fans line the riverbanks with hundreds of boats escorting a small flotilla of pro swimmers who finish to the colorful sounds of mariachi bands. It is these events that are the culminations of Dennis’ selfless efforts. In addition to his efforts on behalf of open water swimming, Dennis has spent hundreds of hours working on behalf of the Oceania National Olympic Committees, an arm of IOC’s Olympic Solidarity, which is responsible for development programs in various sports. It is estimated that nearly 800,000 athletes participated in open water swims somewhere in the world during 2007, ranging from a focused group of committed professional athletes to the mass of individuals who simply enjoy the freedom and challenge of open water. Dennis can smile proudly that these individuals are experiencing the joys of open water swimming partly based on his efforts and vision. Click here to return to the list of articles. Britta Kamrau-Corestein (www.britta-kamrau.com), the 25K gold medalist in 2007 World Swimming Championships and one of the medal darkhorses for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim, is currently training in Spain in her build-up to the Beijing Olympics. Like the Russian national open water team that trained in Brazil and the Americans who train at the high altitude swimming center north of Mexico City (www.altitudeswimming.com), Britta and other top marathon swimmers travel the world in search of optimal training grounds. Britta is considered to be one of the most versatile open water swimmers on the pro marathon swimming circuit. Britta is currently training at the Son Hugo Aquatic Center in Majorque with other world-class open water swimmers. The Aquatic Center was the site of the 1999 World University Games in 1999 and where the USA National Swim Team and German National Team trained before the 2004 Athens Olympics. Britta has enjoyed great success on the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup and FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuits over the last several wins with numerous wins and top 3 finishes. Although her remarkable versatility ranges from 5K to 88K, she will forego the other race opportunities in 2008 and focus entirely on the 10K distance. "My great (aim) is the Beijing Olympic. I must prepare now with a very fixed plan to focus exclusively on 10K races,” said Britta from Spain. “Even though FINA has two pro circuits, I am only going to participate in the 10K distance. Instead of doing the races on the international circuit, I am going to do lots of training like this (in Spain). I still must qualify for the Olympics (in Seville) which will require great preparation. I am together with 29 other German national-team swimmers (both pool and open water). (This training) is due to the great support received by the German Swimming Federation and, as such, (I feel) great responsibility. In the previous years, (the schedule) was very exhausting with too many races and (a lot of) travel all around the world. We did not have (enough) time to train and this plan will serve us very well. Other top-ranked marathon swimmers who have recently trained at the Son Hugo Aquatic Center include Stephane Gomez of France, multi-time World Cup champion, Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria, the current English Channel record-holder and multi-time World Swimming Championship medalist, Fabio Venturini of Italy, Christian Hein of Germany and Marteen Van der Wejden of the Netherlands. Click here to return to the list of articles. When a new sport is observed for the first time by the general public or the media, the terminology and rules of the sport are either unknown or unfamiliar. This brief American English open water swimming dictionary includes the definitions, etymologies, synonyms and examples of numerous terms used in the sport of open water swimming. Abandonment (noun): A swimmer may retire from a race due to injury, exhaustion or time limits. A race may be abandoned and restarted at a later time due to unsafe conditions on the course. When the weather worsened and the waves reached over 10 feet, the referee called for abandonment of the race. Acclimate (verb): to become accustomed to warmer or colder water temperatures and conditions before an open water race or solo swim. The swimmer began to swim in colder water in order to prepare for the English Channel. [Origin: 1785–95; < F acclimater]. Acclimatization (noun): the process of adapting to warmer or colder water temperatures and conditions prior to an open water race or solo swim. Acclimatization is an important part of preparing for the warm water conditions expected at the Olympics 10K Marathon Swim. Beach finish(noun): a finish that is on land, requiring the swimmers to exit from the water and run up a sandy beach to a finish line. The rough water swim has a picturesque beach finish on the sands of Waikiki. Synonym: run-out finish. Antonyms: in-the-water finish and FINA finish. Beaufort Wind Force Scale (noun): an empirical measure for describing wind velocity based mainly on observed sea conditions. The referee made reference to the Beaufort Scale when he made the public announcement about the abandonment of the world championship race. Synonym: Beaufort Scale. Beaufort No. Sea Conditions (wave height in meters) Beeline (noun): the most direct and straightest route to a specific point during a race, albeit not necessarily always the fastest route due to currents or waves. The coach directed her swimmer to take a beeline to the next turn buoy. [Origin: 1820–30, Americanism; bee + line]. Synonyms: straight course, direct line, shortest route, straight line and Rhumb Line. Boxed-in (adjective): to get caught in between swimmers so as to not be able to swim in the direction or at the desired pace. The swimmer was boxed in between three other swimmers after coming out of the turn. Synonym: sandwiched and squeezed. Breakaway (verb): to speed up or increase the pace in order to create separation from the rest of the field. The swimmer made a breakaway on the last loop. Synonyms: sprint ahead, swim faster, put on a spurt, pick up the pace, drop the hammer, increase the tempo, drop the field, make a move and breakaway. Breakers (noun): waves that crests and break along the shore or shallow shoal that may not be visible. At the start of the race, the swimmers had to fight through the breakers before they hit the first buoy. Call room (noun): a designated indoor or outdoor area or room where the swimmers gather before the race, often to listen to pre-race instructions from race officials or to store their personal gear before the race. The swimmers were called to the Call Room 30 minutes before the start of the world championships. Synonym: Ready room. Celsius (noun): Also, Centigrade, a temperature scale in which 0° represents the ice point and 100° the steam point, often abbreviated to C when written. FINA does not allow competitions when the water temperature drops below 15°C. [After Anders Celsius] Chafing (noun): to irritate or cause irritation due to repeated rubbing of skin against swim suits or other items, including other body parts, due to the swimming stroke, waves, especially around swim suit straps, armpits, shoulders, upper thighs, neck and chin. The swimmer always used Vaseline to prevent chafing under his arms. [Origin: 1275–1325; ME chaufen to heat, rub, chafe < MF chaufer < VL *calfāre, var. of L cal(e)facere, equiv. to cale- (s. of calére to be hot) + facere to make]. Synonyms: rubbing, irritation, friction and rubbing. Chop (noun): wave action at the surface of the water caused by wind. Small, frequent waves that are irritating to open water swimmers because they impede forward movement and can reduce visibility from the surface of the water. The chop was the reason why he went a bit off-course. Synonyms: surface chop, small waves, whitecaps and whitewater. Core body temperature (noun): the operating temperature of a swimmer, specifically in the deep structures of the body such as the liver, in comparison to the temperature of peripheral tissues. This optimum temperature is 36.8°C (98.2°F) through it varies regularly as controlled by one’s circadian rhythms. Temperature examination in the rectum is the traditional standard measurement used to estimate core temperature. The swimmer finished the race, but her core body temperature had dropped significantly and she was experiencing hypothermia. Synonyms: core temperature and normal human body temperature. Corrected course (noun): the most direct course to the next turn buoy accounting for drift due to actual or anticipated currents, wind and wave action. The lead pack set off on a corrected course to the next turn buoy. Course (noun): a direction or route taken by a swimmer. The path over which a race is run. The location in which a race is conducted. The swimmers were almost halfway around the race course. The swimmers studied the race course from the escort boat during the pre-race meeting. [Origin: 1250–1300; ME co(u)rs (n.) < AF co(u)rs(e), OF cours < L cursus a running, course, equiv. to cur(rere) to run + -sus, var. of -tus suffix of v. action]. Synonyms: race course, circuit and direction. Current (noun): a portion of a large body of water moving in a certain direction. A steady forward movement of water; the flow of a body of water, regardless of cause. The horizontal movement of water in a channel or bay. The currents were flowing against the swimmers. [Origin: 1250–1300; < L current- (s. of curréns) running (prp. of currere)]. Synonyms: tide, eddies, rip tides and undertow. Cut buoy (noun): In the case of a swimmer who did not properly round a required turn buoy, a violation of the rule that requires the swimmer to return and correctly round the turn mark. The referee disqualified the swimmer for the cut buoy. Dock (noun): a fixed pier or floating platform where open water swimmers can either start or finish races or that serve as feeding stations or locations where supporters can cheer. The lead swimmer came into the dock to receive a feeding from his coach. [Origin: 1505–15; < MD doc(ke) Draft (verb): to swim close behind another swimmer (or swimmers) in order to take advantage of their slipstream, especially in a race. The cagey veteran was drafting behind the young swimmer throughout the race. [Middle English draught, act of drawing or pulling, from Old English.]. Synonyms: hang on, follow, drag and free ride. Ear plugs (noun): a device inserted in the ear canal to protect from the intrusion of water or foreign bodies. Often made of wax or silicon and can help decrease the middle and inner ear exposure to cold and thus lessen the uncomfortable feeling, including vertigo, that may come with exposure to cold water conditions. The swimmer always uses silicon ear plugs when he does cold water training in the Pacific Ocean. Eyes and ears (noun): offering of navigational advice to swimmers in the water when they cannot see the course or their competition. The coach on the escort boat served as the eyes and ears of the swimmer when the swells got too large. [Origin: bef. 900; ME eie, ie, OE ége, var. of éage; c. G Auge; akin to L oculus, Gk ps, Skt akṣi Escort (noun): a person or group of persons in a boat, kayak, JetSki or on a paddleboard or surfboard accompanying or leading a swimmer for protection and/or guidance in the open bodies of water. The escort was leading the swimmers out towards the last turn buoy. [Origin: 1570–80; < F < It scorta, deriv. of scorgere to conduct < VL *excorrigere] Synonyms: paddler, kayaker, lead boat and escort boat. Escort (verb): to guide, protect or lead a swimmer in a boat, kayak, JetSki or on a paddleboard whiling in the open water. The coach will escort the swimmer on a kayak during the race. Synonyms: paddle and kayak (for). Escort boat (noun): a boat or similar watercraft that accompanies or leads a swimmer for protection and/or guidance in the open bodies of water. The escort boat led the swimmers throughout the 25-kilometer race. [Origin: 1570–80; < F < It scorta, deriv. of scorgere to conduct < VL *excorriger]. Synonym: lead boat. Fahrenheit (noun): a temperature scale that registers the freezing point of water as 32° and the boiling point as 212° at one atmosphere of pressure, often abbreviated to F when written. The water temperature was a very comfortable 72°F. [After Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit] Feeding (noun): the process of eating or drinking or being given nourishment during a race. The swimmers stopped momentarily for a feeding. [Origin: bef. 900; ME feding, OE féding]. Synonyms: drink, gel pack and some food. Feeding pole (noun): see Feeding stick. Feeding pontoon (noun): a boat or other temporary or fixed floating structure used by coaches to provide fuel (i.e., food) or hydration (i.e., drink) to swimmers in a race. The coaches were standing on the pontoon waiting for the swimmers to come in for a feeding. [Origin: 1585–95; < F ponton < L pontōn- (s. of pontō) flat-bottomed boat, punt]. Synonyms: feeding platform, pier and feeding station. Feeding station (noun): a boat or other temporary or fixed floating structure, such as a dock or pier, used by coaches to provide fuel (i.e., food) or hydration (i.e., drink) to swimmers in a race. The coaches were standing on the feeding station waiting for the swimmers to come in. Synonyms: feeding pontoon and feeding platform. Feeding stick (noun): a long slender mechanical implement with a cup or bottle holder at the end in which to hand fuel (e.g., gel packs, food) or hydration (e.g., water, Gatorade, tea) to a swimmer during a race. The coach stood at the feeding pontoon with her feeding stick in order to hand the water bottle to her swimmer. [Origin: bef. 1000; ME stikke, OE sticca; akin to OHG stehho, ON stik stick]. Synonyms: pole and rod. FINA (acronym for Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur) (noun): the international governing body of swimming, water polo, diving, synchronized swimming and open water swimming, recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international aquatic competitions. It was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. FINA administers two different global open water swimming circuits in addition to the biennial World Swimming Championships held every odd year. FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup (noun): a year-round global series of professional marathon swims organized by FINA, 10 kilometers in distance, held in countries such as Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Mexico. Many of the races are in loop courses that allow for spectators to see the athletes battling with each other throughout the race. The top pro swimmers travel the world to participate in the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup. FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix (noun): a year-round global series of professional marathon swims organized by FINA, ranging from 15 to 88 kilometers in length, held in countries such as Argentina, Italy, Serbia, Macedonia, Canada and Mexico. One of the toughest endurance circuits in the world has to be the FINA Open Water Grand Prix. FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (noun): a FINA committee (acronym: TOWSC) that sets and implements the rules and policies of open water swimming and organizes the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup and the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix; have supported the International Olympic Committee to add marathon swimming to the Olympic schedule. Members include Valerijus Belovas of Lithuania, Flavio Bornio of Switzerland, Alan Clarkson of Great Britain, Jorge Delgado of Ecuador, Dr. Mohie Wahid Farid of Egypt, Paulo Frischknecht of Portugal, Tomas Haces German of Cuba, Dennis Miller of Fiji and Vladimir Srb of the Czech Republic. The Chairman is Sid Cassidy of the USA, Vice Chairman if Ronnie Wong Man Chui of Hong Kong and the Honorable Secretary if Shelley Taylor-Smith of Australia. The FINA Bureau Liaison is Nory Kruchten of Luxembourg. The Coaches' Commission Liaison is Osvaldo Arsenio of Argentina and the Athletes' Commission Liaison is Daniel Kowalski of Australia. The FINA TOWSC set the rules of the competition at the Olympics. Finish shoot (noun): a series of lane lines, buoys or other such markings that indicate the finish area and help direct the swimmers to the final finish line or touch pads. The lead group of swimmers all entered the finish shoot together, each sprinting to the touch pads. Fluid (noun): liquid nourishment that provides hydration during an open water race. Popular examples are Gatorade and water. The coach prepared the swimmer’s fluid at the feeding station. [Origin: 1300–50; ME fuel(le), feuel < OF feuaile < VL focālia, neut. pl. of focālis of the hearth, fuel]. Synonyms: drinks, hydration and liquid. Four-wide (noun): 4 swimmers swimming side-by-side during a race. There is a four-wide sprinting around the buoy towards the finish. [Origin: modern-day NASCAR term]. Fuel (noun): solid food or nourishment that provides energy source during an open water race. Examples are bananas and chocolate and gel packs like CarbBoom, Clif Shot, GU and PowerGel. The coach put a bit of fuel in his water bottle at the feeding station. [Origin: 1300–50; ME fuel(le), feuel < OF feuaile < VL *focālia, neut. pl. of *focālis of the hearth, fuel.]. Synonyms: food and solids. Gel pack (noun): Small, easy-to-use, individual squeeze packages that contain simple and complex carbohydrates, antioxidants and amino acids in order to provide an energy boost during a race. Single-serving pouches are sold in a variety of sizes, shapes and flavors, and can be easily digested while swimming. The swimmer stuck two gel packs in her swim suit before the start of the race. Synonyms: sports gel and pouch. GPS (noun): acronym for Global Positioning System; a global system of U.S. navigational satellites developed to provide precise positional and velocity data and global time synchronization for air, sea, and land travel. The race director calculated the location of the turn buoys on the course by using GPS. Gulp and Go (noun): the third rule of feeding when an open water swimmer quickly consumes fuel (e.g., gel pack) or hydration (e.g., water) received from his/her coach on the feeding pontoon, then immediately begin to swim again after the momentary feeding stop. The swimmer came in and did a great ‘Gulp and Go’ despite being crowded at the feeding station. Hydration (noun): water, Gatorade, flat Coca-Cola or Mountain Dew, fortified water drinks, tea and other liquids to restore or maintain fluid balance during an open water race. The importance of hydration to prevent dehydration during the race cannot be overemphasized. [Origin: 1795–1805; hydr + -ate]. Synonyms: liquid and drinks. Note: some nutritionists argue that caffeine does not hydrate because it is also a diuretic. Hyperthermia (noun): an abnormally high body temperature, usually resulting from warm water, warm temperatures, bright skies and/or humidity, during open water races, especially common during intense competitions or complicated due to dehydration. Several degrees of severity exist, starting with Heat Edema with the swelling of hands and feet. Heat Stroke is a medical emergency with potential for profound confusion, loss of coordination, hallucinations and coma, typically with a core body temperature of greater than 104°F. Between these two extremes there are intermediate degrees of severity, including (in order) Heat Syncope, Heat Cramps and Heat Exhaustion. The doctors were ready to deal with cases of hyperthermia due to the hot water conditions under sunny skies. Hypothermia (noun): an abnormally low body temperature, often caused by prolonged exposure to cold water during open water races, especially when combined with chilly winds, pronounced fatigue for swimmers with a low body fat percentage. Hypothermia is medically defined when the core body temperature drops below 35ºC (95ºF). Mild hypothermia may be identified by increased shivering or vasoconstriction. Severe hypothermia includes altered cognition, unusual behavior, weakness, apathy, reduced cardiac output, and even coma. The swimmer was pulled from the water when it become obvious that she was suffering from hypothermia. [Origin: 1885–90; hypo- + therm- + -ia Impede (verb): to obstruct, interfere or retard in movement or progress by means of cutting off, swimming into, blocking or pulling on legs, ankles, arms or shoulders of other swimmers during a race. The swimmer was impeded by his competitor when he was cut off towards the end of the race. [Origin: 1595–1605; < L impedīre to entangle, lit., to snare the feet]. Synonyms: slow, stop, block, pull and interfere. Intermediate buoy (noun): Buoys placed between required turn buoys or markers that may be passed on either side without penalty. The swimmer went to the left side of the intermediate buoys because he thought this would give him an advantage. International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (noun): an affiliate organization to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, established in 1961 to recognize the marathon swimmers throughout the world and governed by an international selection committee of marathon swimming experts. It recognizes not only the world’s most successful swimmers in competitive races, but also individuals for their solo swim exploits around the world. Due to her exploits as a professional marathon swimmer and her unprecedented solo swims, she was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. In-water start(noun): a start that begins in the water and does not require swimmers to dive in from a starting pontoon or run in the water from a beach, pier or shoreline to start. The bay swim used an in-water start where the swimmers lined up behind the rope. Synonym: in-the-water start. Antonyms: beach start, dive start and run-in start. In-water finish(noun): a finish that is in the water and do not require the swimmers to exit from the body of water where the race is held. The bay swim used a rope across two buoys as the in-water finish. Synonym: in-the-water finish. Antonyms: beach finish and run-out finish. Knot (noun): a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile or about 1.15 statute miles per hour. The race was conducted under wavy conditions and 10-knot winds. Landmark (noun): large, visible or stationary objects that are easy to see with a quick sighting from the perspective of the swimmer in an open water race; includes buildings, light poles on piers or anchored boats visible from the distance. The swimmer looked for various landmarks as she was swimming into to shore at the end of the race. [Origin: bef. 1000; ME; OE landmearc]. Synonyms: guide, point and mark. Lanolin (noun): a greasy, fatty substance, insoluble in water, that is extracted from wool-bearing animals used to coat the skin of swimmers, especially to friction points (e.g., underarms, inside thighs, chin and neck) in order to prevent chafing or help reduce the impact of cold water. The coach spread a thin layer of lanolin under the swimmer’s shoulders. [Origin: 1880–85; < L lān(a) wool + -ol + -in]. Synonyms: grease, Vaseline, white stuff, Adeps Lanae, wool wax, wool fat, anhydrous wool fat and wool grease. Lap (noun): one complete round, length or circuit around a race course. The swimmers have two more laps around the course. [Middle English lappen, from lappe, lap, lappet]. Synonym: loop, round and circuit. Lead boat (noun): a boat or similar watercraft that leads a swimmer or the lead pack of swimmers on a race course. The lead boat led the swimmers throughout the 25-kilometer race. Synonym: escort boat. Lead pack (noun): the fastest or first group of swimmers in a race, all closely swimming together. The lead pack sprinted towards the finish ahead of the other competitors. [Origin: 1175–1225; (n.) ME pak, packe < MD pac or perh. MLG pak; (v.) ME pakken < MD or MLG Leading the pack (verb): to swim ahead of a group of swimmers in an open water race. The favorite was leading the pack during the first half of the race. Left (or right) shoulder turn (noun): term used by race officials to describe the required turn direction when passing a turn buoy. A left shoulder turn means that the turn buoys must be kept on the left-side of the swimmer. All orange buoys must be passed using a right shoulder turn. Line of sight (noun): an unobstructed path from the swimmer’s eye to a distant point such as the turn buoys or finish line. The swimmer had a great line of sight from the turn buoy to the finish area. Long-distance swimming (noun): swimming in natural or man-made bodies of water such as oceans, bays, lakes, reservoirs, rowing basins and rivers; generally understood to be at least 3 kilometers in distance. The masters swimmers decided to try long-distance swimming when they visited Hawaii. Synonyms: open water swimming, rough water swimming and marathon swimming. Loop (noun): one complete round, length or circuit around a race course, especially one that is circular in shape. The swimmers have to swim four loops around the Olympic 10K course in the rowing basin. [Alteration (influenced by Italian lega) of Middle English liege, from Old French ligue, from Medieval Latin liga and from Old Italian lega, liga (from legare, to bind), both from Latin ligāre, to bind; see leig- in Indo-European roots]. Synonyms: lap, round and circuit. Make a break (verb): to speed up or increase the pace in order to create separation from the competition. The swimmer plans to make a break just after the last turn. Synonyms: sprint ahead, swim faster, put on a spurt, pick up the pace, drop the hammer, increase the tempo, drop the field, make a move and breakaway. Make a move (verb): to catch up to or swim into position ahead of one’s competitors. The swimmer will make his move in the second half of the race. Synonyms: sprint ahead, swim faster, put on a spurt, pick up the pace, drop the hammer, increase the tempo, drop the field , make a break and breakaway. Marathon swimming (noun): swimming a minimum of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in the large outdoor bodies of water such as oceans, bays, lakes, reservoirs, rowing basins and rivers, as defined by FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur). Swimming a minimum of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) as defined by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. The athletes were preparing for a 25-kilometer marathon swimming race. [Origin: 1895–1900; allusion to Pheidippides' 26-mi. (42-km) run from Marathon to Athens to carry news of the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 b.c.] + [Origin: bef. 1000; ME; OE swimmende (adj.)] Synonyms: open water swimming, rough water swimming and long distance swimming. Marking (noun): numbers that are written in black in on the shoulders, shoulder blades and wrists of the swimmers for identification purposes. These numbers are used to monitor the swimmer’s progress, announce the swimmer’s position to the crowd and media, and to inform swimmers who commit rule infractions during the race. The race officials write markings on the swimmer’s shoulders 30 minutes before the start of the race. Synonyms: race numbers and competitor’s numbers. Miss a feeding (verb): to drop a cup or bottle with hydration due to jostling in a crowd around the feeding station or to not get close enough to the feeding station to receive fuel (e.g. gel pack) or hydration (e.g., Gatorade). The swimmer missed a feeding for the second time at the feeding station. Mixed zone (noun): an area near the finish line where media representatives, photographers and team officials can interview and photograph swimmers after the race. The swimmer smiled widely and waved to her coach from the Mixed Zone where she was being interviewed by the press. Navigation (noun): the art or science of plotting, ascertaining or directing the course of a swimmer in a open water race. The coaches and swimmers discussed the navigation options for the swim around the island. [Origin: 1520–30; < L nāvigātiōn- (s. of nāvigātiō) a voyage]. Synonym: direction and plotting Navigational IQ (noun): the innate ability for a swimmer to swim the straightest and fastest path in an open water race course. She has the highest navigational IQ among all the competitors. [Origin: 1520–30; < L nāvigātiōn- (s. of nāvigātiō) a voyage. See navigate, -ion Off course (adjective): not swimming in the right (or fastest or straightest) direction in an open water race. The swimmers started to veer off course to the left. [Origin: orig. stressed var. of of] + [Origin: 1250–1300; ME co(u)rs (n.) < AF co(u)rs(e), OF cours < L cursus a running, course, equiv. to cur(rere) to run + -sus]. Synonyms: crooked and veering (to the right/left). On course (adjective): swimming in the right (or fastest or straightest) direction in an open water race. The swimmers were right on course throughout the race. [Origin: bef. 900; ME on, an, OE: on, in, to; c. D aan, G an, ON ā, Goth ana; akin to Gk aná up] + [Origin: 1250–1300; ME co(u)rs (n.) < AF co(u)rs(e), OF cours < L cursus a running, course, equiv. to cur(rere) to run + -sus]. Synonym: right on. Open water swimming (noun): swimming in natural or man-made bodies of water such as oceans, bays, lakes, reservoirs, rowing basins and rivers; generally understood to be longer than 1 kilometer in distance. The triathletes practice open water swimming in the lake every Saturday. Synonyms: marathon swimming, rough water swimming and long distance swimming. Pack (noun): a group of swimmers swimming together in a race or during training. The swimmers were in a large pack during the start of the race. [Origin: 1175–1225; (n.) ME pak, packe < MD pac or perh. MLG pak; (v.) ME pakken < MD or MLG]. Synonyms: pod, swarm, crowd, horde, mob, throng and shoal. Positioning (noun): a place or location, often strategic and intentional, but occasionally unintentional or accidental, where a swimmer finds him/herself during an open water race. The coach stressed to the swimmer the need to hold her positioning around the turn buoys on the last loop. [Middle English posicioun, from Old French posicion, from Latin positiō, positiōn-, from positus, past participle of pōnere, to place; see apo- in Indo-European roots]. Synonyms: place and location. Rabbit (noun): a swimmer whose goal is chiefly to set a fast pace, either to set a record or to exhaust a specific competitor so that a teammate can win. The teammate served as a rabbit by going out fast on the first two loops. [Origin: 1375–1425; late ME rabet(te) young rabbit, bunny, prob. < ONF; cf. Walloon robett, dial. D robbe]. Synonym: pacesetter. Race numbers (noun): number that is prominently written in semi-permanent black ink or with temporary tattoos on the upper arms, shoulder blades and wrists of the swimmer for identification purposes. These numbers are used to monitor the swimmer’s progress, announce the swimmer’s position to the crowd and media and inform swimmers who are committing rule infractions during the race. The race officials write the race numbers on the swimmer’s shoulders 30 minutes before the start of the race. Synonyms: markings and competitor numbers. Reach and Roll (noun): the second rule of feeding when the swimmer extends his/her hand to grab fuel (e.g., gel pack) or hydration (e.g., water) from his/her coach on the feeding pontoon, then turns over on his/her back to consumer the fuel or hydration. The swimmer was ready to reach and roll once he grabbed the water bottle from his coach. Ready room (noun): a designated indoor or outdoor area or room where the swimmers gather before the race, often to listen to pre-race instructions from race officials or to store their personal gear before the race. The swimmers were called to the Ready Room 30 minutes before the start of the world championships. Synonym: Call room Red card (noun): a red-colored penalty card that indicates the immediate disqualification of a swimmer due to unsportsmanlike conduct or a serious infraction of the rules during an open water race. The head referee gave a red card to the swimmer who pulled back his competitor around the turn buoy. Synonyms: disqualification. Red-carded (verb): to be disqualified by a referee during an open water race. The swimmer was red-carded by the referee after his unsportsmanlike conduct. Synonym: disqualified. Referee (noun): the designated individuals who judge open water races based on the established rules set by FINA or the race director. Referees can be located at the start, turns, finishes and/or on escort boats along the course. The referee gave a yellow card to the swimmer after observing the second rule infraction. [Origin: 1605–15; refer + -ee Rough water swimming or roughwater swimming (noun): swimming in outdoor bodies of water such as oceans, bays, lakes, reservoirs, rowing basins and rivers. The athletes were for some rough water swimming at the beach. Synonyms: open water swimming, marathon swimming and long distance swimming. Sea life (noun): living organisms found in the ocean and other bodies of water that open water swimmers may encounter during training sessions or races. These include fish, jellyfish, sea nettles, sea lice, turtles, porpoise, dolphins, sea lions, sharks, coral, seaweed, kelp, sea snakes. The beginner dreaded sea life during his first open water race in the Caribbean, but the experienced swimmers were looking forward to seeing all kinds of sea life. [Origin: bef. 900; ME see, D zee, G See, ON sær sea, Goth saiws marsh Sighting (noun): the act of seeing in the open water races, generally towards landmarks, turn buoys, escort boats or the finish. Lifting the head to look ahead in order to decide the optimal direction to be swimming in an open water race; a view of the race course. The swimmer took frequent sightings as she raised her head every 25 strokes. [Middle English, from Old English sihth, gesiht, something seen; see sek in Indo-European roots]. Synonyms: view and look. Slip streaming or drafting vessels (verb): intentionally taking advantage of the wake of escort boats or officiating watercraft on the course; rules prohibit this action by swimmers. The referee gave a yellow flag to the swimmer who was slip streaming behind the escort boat. Solo swim (noun): an individual swim that is not part of an official race. More people have successfully climbed Mount Everest than have completed a solo swim of the English Channel. [Origin: 1685-95; <It<L sōlus alone]. Synonym: single swim. Split time (noun): a time for a set distance within a race. His split time for the first loop was 29 minutes. Synonyms: interim time and split. Starting platform (noun): a dock, pier or other floating structure where the swimmers stand to start an open water race; each swimmer is given about 60 centimeters or space on the starting platform. The 30 swimmers lined up on the starting platform to the roar of the crowd. Synonym: starting pontoon. Starting pontoon (noun): a dock or floating structure where the swimmers stand to start an open water race; each swimmer is given about 60 centimeters or space on the starting platform. The starting pontoon was anchored to the ocean floor to create a stable start for the swimmers. Synonym: starting platform. Stick and stay (verb): to draft off of another swimmer for an extended period during a race. The coach advised the swimmer to stick and stay with the race favorite for the first 5 kilometers. Synonyms: draft, stay with him/her, drag and slipstream. Strung out (verb): to become separated from one another during an open water race, especially in the later stages of the race after the swimmers have been swimming together in a pack. After the midway point, the top swimmer increased her pace causing the lead pack to get strung out. Surface chop (noun): wave action at the surface of the water caused by wind. Small, frequent waves that are irritating to open water swimmers because they impede forward movement and can reduce visibility from the surface of the water. The surface chop was the reason why he went a bit off-course. Synonyms: chop and whitewater. Swell (noun): a long wave or series of waves in the ocean that move continuously without breaking. The swells caused the swimmers to rise and fall during the first half of the race. [Middle English swellen, from Old English swellan]. Synonym: wave. 10K (noun): 6.2 miles or 10 kilometers, the standard distance of the Olympic marathon swim. The swimmers will swim four loops in the rowing basin during the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim. Three-wide (noun): 3 swimmers swimming side-by-side during a race. There was a three-wide coming around the last turn buoy. [Origin: modern-day NASCAR term]. Tide (noun): the periodic rise and fall of the waters of the ocean and its inlets, produced by the attraction of the moon and sun, and occurring about every 12 hours. The inflow, outflow, or current of water at any given place resulting from the waves of tides. The race director took the tides into account when he decided to start the race in the early morning. [Origin: bef. 900; ME (n.); OE tīd time, hour; c. D tijd, G Zeit, ON tīth; akin to time]. Synonyms: stream, flood tide and current. Toss and Turn (noun): the fourth rule of feeding when the swimmer quickly discards the fuel (e.g., gel pack) or hydration (e.g., water cup or bottle) received from his/her coach and immediately turns over on his/her stomach to begin swimming after a momentary feeding stop. The swimmer was ready to toss and turn after quickly gulping down the Gatorade. Touch pad (noun): finish plates placed vertically (i.e., perpendicular to the surface of the water) at the end of open water races that identify the race finish and can be electronically tied to the official timing system. The two swimmers slapped the touch pad at nearly the exact same time. Synonyms: Finish, finish pads and finish line. Transponder (noun): light, waterproof timing devices with GPS capabilities that are worn on both wrists of swimmers at FINA-sanctioned races. The swimmers were given transponders before the race by the officials. Synonym: timing chips. Turn buoy (noun): a distinctively marked colored float in the water, anchored to mark the course for swimmers. There are four turn buoys throughout the race course that the swimmers must go around to finish. [Origin: 1425–75; late ME boye a float < MF *boie, boue(e) < Gmc]. Synonyms: guide, marker, beacon, signal and buoy. Unsportsmanlike conduct (noun): inappropriate or unprofessional acts committed by swimmers during an open water race that can lead to a warning or disqualification by the referee or that are not in the spirit of the competition. These acts can include obstruction, interference or making intentional contact with another swimmer that can lead to a warning or disqualification by the lead referee, whether made by the swimmer or the swimmer’s escort boat or crew. The swimmer was disqualified for his unsportsmanlike conduct because he swam over the shoulders of his competitor at the finish. Synonym: unsporting behavior. Vaseline (noun): a well-known trademark used for a brand of petroleum jelly that is used to coat the skin of swimmers, especially to friction points (e.g., underarms, inside thighs, chin and neck) in order to prevent chafing. The swimmer applied a thin coating of Vaseline around his neck. [1872, trademark for an ointment made from petroleum and marketed by Chesebrough Manufacturing Co., coined from Ger. Wasser "water" + Gk. elaion "oil" + scientific-sounded ending -ine. Robert Chesebrough was of the opinion that petroleum was a product of the underground decomposition of water]. Synonyms: grease, Body Glide, bag balm, PAM, Channel grease and Cramer Skin Lube. Veer off course (verb): to swim not on the optimal path along an open water race. The swimmers were pushed by the strong currents and were gradually veering off course. Wake (noun): the track of waves left by an escort boat, JetSki or other watercraft moving through the water or across the path of swimmers in an open water race or solo swim. The swimmers were bothered by the wake of the escort boat. [Origin: 1540–50; < MLG, D wake, or ON vǫk hole in the ice]. Whiteboard (noun): a smooth, glossy sheet of white plastic that can be written on with a colored pen or erasable marker in the manner of a blackboard. The white plastic is used by coaches or referees to provide instructions to swimmers during an open water race. The coach wrote “2K to go” on the whiteboard to show his swimmer. Synonym: chalk board. Whitecaps (noun): small ocean surface waves that break offshore due to the wind that are irritating to open water swimmers because they tend to impede forward progress and reduce visibility. The winds picked up in the afternoon leading to an ocean full of whitecaps. Synonyms: whitewater, surface chop, chop, small waves and turbulence. Yellow card (noun): a yellow-colored penalty card that indicates an official warning to a swimmer due to unsportsmanlike conduct or an infraction of the rules during an open water race. The head referee gave a yellow card to the swimmer who cut across the back of his competitor. Synonym: warning. Yellow-carded (verb): to be warned by a referee during an open water race. The swimmer was yellow-carded by the referee after his unsportsmanlike conduct. Synonyms: warned and given a warning.
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]. Synonyms: berth, landing, pier, jetty, marina, slip and wharf.
] + [Origin: bef. 900; ME ere, OE éare; c. ON eyra, G Ohr, Goth auso, L auris, Lith ausìs, Gk oûs
]
where hypo- + Greek thermē, heat; see gwher- in Indo-European roots + -ia].
] Synonyms: group and bunch.
] + intelligence quotient]. Synonym: ability to swim straight. 
]. Synonyms: judge and ref.
] + [Origin: bef. 900; ME lif(e); OE līf; c. D lijf, G Leib body, ON līf life, body]. Synonym: sea creatures.