Rivalry Renewed In The Bodensee

The upcoming German National Open Water Swimming Championships will be held in Bodensee (Lake Constance in English) where the water is expected to be 18.4°C (65°F).

The 5K, 10K and 25K events will serve as the qualification races for the 2009 World Swimming Championships where the water temperature is expected to be around 26°C (78.8°F).

Bodensee lies in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the base of the alps at 395 meters (1,295 feet) above sea level. Central Europe's third largest lake, it is feed by the Rhine flows into it from the south.

The German Championships will feature another chapter in the long-running rivalry between Britta Kamrau and Angela Maurer.

Angela, who got a close fourth in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing is an early riser - not a surprise as she is a 33-year-old with a four-year-old son. Besides world champion Britta (shown on left), Angela will also face tough competitors in Nadine Pastor and Stefanie Biller in the 10K and 25K races.

Upper photo by Giorgio Scalia shows Thomas Lurz, Britta Kamrau and Wolfgarten at the 2008 European Open Water Swimming Championships. Lower photo of Britta Kamrau is by Lucas Dawson of Getty Images Sport.