Open Water Swimming event or Scene from a Horror Movie?
Swimming is by no means an easy sport, tremendous stamina, determination, strength and cardiovascular health are required to be involved at a competitive level. Swimmers are used to facing certain obstacles like extreme temperatures, choppy conditions, wind and the thrashing limbs of other competitors.
The women vying for a gold medal in the 10k of the World Championships this past weekend in Melbourne faced quite a different obstacle - thousands of jellyfish.
The jellyfish had started to show themselves during practice, but no one was safe once the race began. Racers were said to have heard the screams of others being stung through the course of the first lap. Every girl who agonizingly worked her way onto the beach after the brutal race was covered with red welts caused by the stings.
When all was said and done, once all the carnage was complete, there were three girls who would likely say they were glad to have competed: Larisa Ilchenko who nabbed gold in the ten k for the second consecutive year, Cassandra Patten who took Silver and Kate Brookes-Peterson who kept the bronze in Austrailia. The first American finisher, Kaylin Keller, was one of the many unlucky ones, finishing ninth and suffering for 12.1 seconds more than the winner with nothing to show for it but experience.
The girls who qualify can consider this the ultimate training for the Olympics, as the 10 k will be added as an event in Beijing Games.
open water swimming, swimming championships, 10k championship
April 5th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I have always wanted to do an openwater swim, but I am utterly terrified.