Open Water Shots From The World Championships

The 2009 World Swimming Championships finished this weekend in Rome. FINA took some great photos from the open water swimming events held in Ostia Beach:

Photo of the women's lead pack by Matthais Hangst.

"It was rougher and faster than I thought it would be," recalled first-time competitor Emily Brunemann who placed a respectible 9th in the 5K and 24th in the 10K race.


Photo of the feeding station by Matthais Hangst showing a wide variety of feeding sticks.

There are regulations on the length or type of the feeding sticks that can be used including the size of the flag at the end that must be limited in size.


Photo by Matthais Hangst of silver medalist Andrew Gemmell congratulating his American teammate and bronze medalist Fran Crippen after the protested 10K race.

Notice the lanolin that has coagulated around their bodies and the timing transponders on both wrists.



Photo by Matthais Hangst of the large Italian crowds that cheered on their Italian heroes and all the other open water competitors from 42 different nations.