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Kamis, 29 Agustus 2013

Open Water circuits still active

OPEN WATER. On August 24, the 30km-race in the Ohrid Lake (MKD) was the seventh leg of the 2013 FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix, and the winners were Reymond Axel, from France, and Martina Grimaldi, from Italy, respectively in the men’s and women’s competition.
After the race in Ohrid, the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2013 will conclude on September 1, with the traditional 36km crossing between Naples and Capri. Going to Italy, Damian Blaum (ARG) leads the men’s overall ranking, while Olga Kozydub (RUS) is the first among women.

The FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup will have its last two (out of eight) events on September 29 in Shantou (CHN) and on October 5 in Hong Kong (HKG)

Senin, 26 Agustus 2013

OWS Grand Prix 2013: Reymond (FRA) and Grimaldi (ITA), the best in Ohrid Lake

Lausanne (SUI), OPEN WATER (August 26, 2013) – Axel Reymond, from France, and Martina Grimaldi, from Italy, won the 30km-race on August 24 in Ohrid Lake (MKD), the seventh leg of the 2013 circuit of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix.
Reymond, who got his first success of the season, concluded the race in 5h09m54s, almost one minute faster than the runner-up, Italy’s Edoardo Stocchino, silver medallist in 5h10m57s. The bronze went to Ivan Afanevich, from Russia, in a time of 5h11m28s. The top-3 swimmers of the general ranking of the 2013 Grand Prix before the race in Ohrid, also had positive performances: Damian Blaum, from Argentina, the leader of the classification, was sixth; Simone Ercoli, the second so far in the ranking, concluded in ninth, while Tomi Stefanovski, from the Republic of Macedona, also confirmed his good 2013 season (third of the overall series), with a fifth place at home.
In the women’s field, the victory went to Grimaldi, 25km gold medallist at the recent 15th FINA World Championships in Barcelona (ESP), who touched home in 5h24m07s25. In a very close finish, Olga Kozydub, from Russia, arrived 0.21 seconds later, reinforcing her lead of the overall ranking of this year’s circuit. The bronze in Ohrid went to Karla Sitic, from Croatia, in 5h24m48s.

After the race in Ohrid, the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2013 will conclude on September 1, with the traditional 36km crossing between Naples and Capri, in Italy.

Rabu, 24 Juli 2013

FINA World Championships 2013: Brazil's Okimoto and Cunha finish 1-2 in women's 10km

OPEN WATER INDONESIA-Poliana Okimoto Cintra (BRA) and Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) signaled Brazil's intentions to be the faces of women's open water swimming in the lead up to the next Olympic Games. Okimoto Cintra (1:58.19.2) touched just three tenths of a second ahead of her teammate (1:58.19.5) in the women's 10km race. Angela Maurer of Germany (1:58.20.2) finished a full second behind the winner to claim a bronze medal. For the Brazilian swimmers it was second medal for each at these World Championships. Okimoto Cintra finished second to Haley Anderson (USA) in Saturday's 5km race, Cunha earned a bronze medal in that race.

"I'm so excited. I have been training for this medal, even in freezing water, I have trained for this race, so this medal is pricelss. I am really happy to have my second medal in these World Championships. I felt strong during the race," said Okimoto Cintra. Okimoto Cintra won two silver medals in 5km and 10km at the 2006 FINA Open Water World Championships in Naples, Italy.


Her teammate said: "It's amazing to win two medals in these World Championships. It shows that Brazil is doing serious work. Two years ago in Shanghai I finished in 11th position and I was unable to compete in the Olympic Games. I watched the Olympics on TV. I went to work and I improved a lot. Today I am the second best open water swimmer in the world, just behind another Brazilian athlete. In the 2015 Kazan World Championships I want to be in the first 10 positions so that I can be at the Olympics in my country. I need to relax for a few days before the 25km on Saturday."

Selasa, 23 Juli 2013

FINA Open Water World Championships:Day 2: Brazil's Okimoto and Cunha finish 1-2 in women's 10km

OPEN WATER, 23 July 2013

OPEN WATER INDONESIA-Poliana Okimoto Cintra (BRA) and Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) signaled Brazil's intentions to be the faces of women's open water swimming in the lead up to the next Olympic Games. Okimoto Cintra (1:58.19.2) touched just three tenths of a second ahead of her teammate (1:58.19.5) in the women's 10km race. Angela Maurer of Germany (1:58.20.2) finished a full second behind the winner to claim a bronze medal. For the Brazilian swimmers it was second medal for each at these World Championships. Okimoto Cintra finished second to Haley Anderson (USA) in Saturday's 5km race, Cunha earned a bronze medal in that race.

"I'm so excited. I have been training for this medal, even in freezing water, I have trained for this race, so this medal is pricelss. I am really happy to have my second medal in these World Championships. I felt strong during the race," said Okimoto Cintra. Okimoto Cintra won two silver medals in 5km and 10km at the 2006 FINA Open Water World Championships in Naples, Italy.

Her teammate said: "It's amazing to win two medals in these World Championships. It shows that Brazil is doing serious work. Two years ago in Shanghai I finished in 11th position and I was unable to compete in the Olympic Games. I watched the Olympics on TV. I went to work and I improved a lot. Today I am the second best open water swimmer in the world, just behind another Brazilian athlete. In the 2015 Kazan World Championships I want to be in the first 10 positions so that I can be at the Olympics in my country. I need to relax for a few days before the 25km on Saturday."

Cunha won gold in the women's 25km in 2011 and now has two bronze medals in the 5km event, one from the 2010 FINA Open Water World Championships in Roberval, Canada and one from the 5km last Saturday. Today's bronze medal was her first in the 10km distance.

Olympic marathon champion Eva Ristov (HUN) led in a comfortable pace controlling the pace for the first hour and 15 minutes before allowing an assortment of swimmers catch up with her. At the 90 minute mark there were six swimmers at the front of the pack including Maurer, Keri-Anne Payne (GBR), Killiope Araouzou (GRE) and Martina Grimaldi (ITA). Each challenged the Hungarian swimmer for the lead. It was the Brazilians that swam past the group leaving the pack to fight it out for the bronze medal.

Keri-Anne Payne (GBR), the silver medallist in the Beijing Olympics won this race in 2009 and 2011 and dropped back to find clear water before she challenged for the podium. Payne finished in fourth place, outside of the podium in London, and in today's race she fell back to 14th place.

Grimaldi (ITA) who had won a medal in this race at each of the last three FINA World Championships finished in 12th place.

Maurer who looked exhausted from the effort was surprisingly upbeat in her analysis of the race: "I can only say it was great; it's my first medal in the last 10 years." The German swimmer won a silver medal in the same harbour in 2003 swimming a second slower that she did today. Maurer owns two FINA gold medals in the 25km event, mostly recently from the 2009 Rome World Championships.

Senin, 22 Juli 2013

FINA World Championships 2013: Reigning world champion Gianniotis (GRE) wins men's 10km

OPEN WATER INDONESIA-Reigning world champion Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE) soundly defeated two of his toughest rivals to win today's 10k event in Moll de la Fusta harbour. The Greek athlete is only the second male to successfully defend his world title, and the first since Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) in 2008.
In second place was Thomas Lurz (GER) was hoping to become the first man to win the event four times. Taking the bronze medal was Oussama Mellouli (TUN) who won the 5km race on Saturday, Lurz finished third. Gianniotis was fresh for today's 10km race as he did not contest the 5km held just 48 hours.
"It was unbelievable today", Gianniotis said. "I wanted to swim three laps comfortably and then get out in front on the final lap. Whenever anyone swam next to me I pushed up the pace. I'm quite good at sprinting. I watched Mellouli race in his 5km and I know that he has more speed than me. I pushed it a bit in the last 300m just to stay ahead of him. In the last 50m I never felt so bad. I almost fainted I was so tired."

Open Water Swimming - Greek Gianniotis remains world champion in 10KM

Open Water Swimming - Greek Gianniotis remains world champion in 10KM

FINA World Championships Barcelona 2013: 25 km more and three kilos less

OPENWATER INDONESIA-The 25 km in open water in one of the toughest events that exists. The swimmers spend an average of 5 hours in the open sea, a maximum effort which can mean the loss of up to 3 kilos in some cases. How do they alleviate the extreme conditions that they subject themselves to?
The temperature of the water, the conditions of the sea, the currents and the wind are all factors that influence the races that take place in open water. However, in the 25 km, the longest of all of them, there is a key element that depends, in many cases, on the success or failure of the competition of each swimmer: the alimentation consumed during the race.
The swimmers lose up to 3,000 calories after more than five hours in the sea, a supreme exertion that needs to be monitored by the physical trainer of every athlete. “The effort carried out is brutal, they can lose up to 3 kilos during the race”, affirmed Mario Lloret, doctor of the Spanish team for open waters.
The correct ingestion of food before jumping into the water is so important as it also has an effect on the digestion during the race. “You have to consider the loss of glucose and maintain and even increase the rates during the race”, explains Lloret. The swimmers also understand this very well. “It´s fundamental to hydrate yourself very well the day before the race and go a little over hydrated the hours before the start of the competition”, comments Kiko Hervás, 4th in Shanghai 2011. But what happens during the race? There are various provision points in all 10 and 25 km circuits so that the water athletes can keep hydrated and nourished.
In Barcelona, there are nearly 20 spots where the swimmers have the chance to recuperate energy. The Moll de la Fusta circuit there are two pontoons situated half way across each stretch. Here the personal trainers can give the athletes the correct quantity of food and drink that they previously calculated using straws and cups. “It depends a lot on the individual. They normally ask for mineral salts and, in the last laps, some like caffeine to boost them for the final sprint”, explains Diego Nogueira, open water swimmer in the Spanish team for the last six years. Regarding solids, energy bars or slices of banana mixed with yogurt are the most common. “They need to be things that can be easily digested while we swim”, commented Hervás.
In the race that will take place in Barcelona there will be 36 swimmers in the men’s event and 22 in the women´s. This means a battle in the water and strategies to get in to the best position for the moment of getting provisions. “It´s a really critical point because you can´t see where your coach is. What we normally do is arrange to meet at a certain point on the pontoon. At this point there are always a lot of crashes which could be critical later”, explains Nogueira. However, there is a solution for the athletes not to have to go to the pontoon and lose the position they have. Some swimmers carry packs of energy gel with them to recharge energy during the event. “We keep the sachets in our swimming trunks to give us a boost during the race”, affirms Diego.

It will be the 27th July when these super athletes face each other in one of the toughest races of the Championships. They will do it in a calm sea and with a temperature of 22/24 degrees, perfect conditions to take on this great aquatic marathon.