It’s a gruelling test of endurance, and the only Olympic event with the threat of swan attacks this summer…
The venue
Britain’s open water world champion, Keri-Anne Payne, has contended with jellyfish and floating carcasses of dead animals in some of her least favourite 10km open water swimming venues around the world. So the chill of Hyde Park’s Serpentine holds no fear.
The 282-year-old boating lake will be deweeded for the Games, and its animal life tempted away by a cunningly positioned feeding post – although at last summer’s Test Event, a few curious swans were tempted back to see what the fuss was about. Swimmers will complete six laps of a 1.67km course around the Serpentine in what will be the second Olympic marathon swim.
The event
A two-hour marathon that begins with a mass start from a fixed platform, the 10km open water swim is only for the hardiest of athletes. Not only must swimmers contend with the various forms of wildlife resident in their competition venue, but they can also be ‘accidentally’ kicked, slapped and whacked by fellow racers looking to gain an advantage.
The tragic death in 2010 of six-time US national champion Fran Crippen in an open water race in Dubai, where the water temperature exceeded 30 degrees, led to the introduction of a rule that races must be abandoned should water temperature reach 31 degrees. In London temperatures are more likely to reach the other extreme, with 16 degrees the minimum permitted. Swimmers use the freestyle stroke to navigate the course and are given a microchip to wear on their wrist, which records their split and finish times. Should they lose it mid-race, they are issued with a replacement by an official – but crossing the finish line without one leads to disqualification.
The marathon swim is one of the few Olympic sports in which coaches play an active role during the competition, positioning themselves at floating ‘feeding’ stations where they can rehydrate their athletes. Should a coach fall into the water, however, their athlete is immediately disqualified.
Team GB's progress
Mark Perry, British Swimming’s national development and open water coach, says: “Keri-Anne Payne has proved consistently that she’s a leading force in open water swimming, while David Davies and Dan Fogg have qualified for the open water Olympic qualifier in Portugal. Both are really talented athletes who have potential for success.”
Open water swimming at London 2012
Dates August 9-10
Capacity 3,000
How to get there National Rail, Tube
