Camaraderie Of Open Water Teammates

We are always touched by the camaraderie shown by open water swimmers.

In this photo by Dr. Jim Miller of the action at the feeding station during the women's 25 km world championship race, 10 km bronze medalist Fran Crippen is shown holding a feeding stick to provide hydration to teammate Eva Fabian.

Towards the right, head coach Catherine Vogt is seen getting prepared to drop the feeding stick to the water's edge for Emily Hanson.

Because open water swimmers know well what they all go through, during practice and during races, the bonds that they forge are deep, emotional and long-lasting.

FINA official Rick Walker tells us of the time he was on a feeding station at a previous world championship and a swimmer from Guyana swam by the feeding station without hydration. The next time the swimmer passed, Walker extended his feeding stick to the swimmer who smiled broadly, drank quickly and waved in appreciation. By the time, the swimmer had passed a third time, the swimmer had offers of hydration from most of the coaches on the feeding station. It was not about competition at that point, it was about the camaraderie of open water swimmers.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

World Championship Women's 25K Start List

The women's 25K start list (18 individuals total) was announced by FINA for the 2009 World Swimming Championships for the 9:10 am start (Rome time) on Saturday, July 25th in Ostia Beach.

Race number, names and countries are noted below:


102. Kate Brookes-Peterson (AUS)
103. Shelley Clark (AUS)
120. Margarita Domingues (ESP)
121. Esther Nunez Morera (ESP)
124. Celia Barrot (FRA)
126. Cathy Dietrich (FRA)
131. Stefanie Biller (GER)
133. Angela Maurer (GER)
141. Martina Grimaldi (ITA)
142. Federica Vitale (ITA)
143. Zaira Cardenas (MEX)
147. Linsy Heister (NED)
154. Natalya Pankina (RUS)
156. Anna Uvarova (RUS)
157. Nika Kozamernik (SLO)
164. Eva Fabian (USA)
165. Emily Hanson (USA) - shown on right above
171. Lili Anzueto Moguel (MEX)

Direct From Rome - Emily Hanson On The World Championships

Emily Hanson, a 21-year-old chemistry major at the University of Michigan, will represent the USA in the 5K and 25K races at the World Swimming Championships.

Emily reported directly from Rome on her first international trip:

"Race time is quickly approaching after a few days of settling into Rome. Things have been great so far. The hotel is nice, the people are really friendly, and the beach is beautiful. The world of open water swimming seems very close-knit and everyone is excited to see each other."

"This morning, we went for our beach swim as a team. The water conditions were awesome and we all got in a really good lap around the [2.5K] course. When we returned we had one of the best cappuccinos that I have had since I have been on this trip. I am quickly becoming addicted--they are sooooo good!"

"After our routine nap time, the rookies, which included myself, prepared their skit and then we headed to the pool. A lot of the teams were there and it was really exciting to see everyone finally arriving. We came back for dinner where we have had some of our best bonding creating new inside jokes and continuously laughing to Paul [Asmuth] being our international guru."

"With this being my first USA Swimming trip ever, I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience so far and I cannot wait to represent the U.S. The team and coaches are all great people who I have loved getting to know. An experience like this one is something that I will never forget. Thanks for all your support! Go USA!"

Latest Updates From The World Championships

Reporting from Rome:

1. The technical open water swimming for the 5K race will be held today and will give the swimmers an indication of what to expect on race day as the turn buoys have not yet been anchored on the course.

2. Construction continues frantically at all the World Championship facilities, but FINA and the local organizing committee expect everything to be set by opening ceremonies. Exhibitor booths are being set up, carpet is being laid, signage is being posted and paint is being laid down by hundreds of small crews.

3. Swimsuit manufacturers are nearly as frantic as FINA has mandated that their products are provided for free to all the athletes. Booths are set up to provide access to the athletes. "We will have 11 manufacturers providing swimsuits free of charge," said Cornel Marculescu, FINA's Executive Director. "It's up to the swimmers to choose which suit they want. The important thing is that there is equal conditions and availability. All of the swimsuits will have a FINA label attached to them to show they are approved."

4. Like the Olympics, athletes are coming from all over the world. "It's going to be a fantastic championships. We have the highest participation ever, with 2,600 athletes from 184 countries - plus 2,000 coaches, officials and delegates," said Cornel.

5. The open water events are held along the only public stretch of beach in Ostia, sandwiched between dozens of private beaches along the Tyrrhenian Sea where 12 euros (at a minimum) will get you an umbrella and a spot on the black sand.

6. 30 minutes to the east by train, swimming and diving will be held in permanent pools that were also used for the 1960 Olympics and 1994 World Championships (see photo on left). Two temporary pools will be used for water polo and synchronized swimming.


7. Fran Crippen, the lone veteran of the USA Swimming national open water team (see photo above), will swim the 5K and 10K with newcomers Emily Brunemann (5K and 10K), Eva Fabian (10K and 25K), Emily Hanson (5K and 25K), Andrew Gemmell (5K and 10K), Sean Ryan (25K) and Alex Meyer (25) similarly confident about their prospects at the World Championships. Their first pool workout was held in a 51.5-meter pool (due to a missing bulkhead).

8. Fans, teammates and family can follow the 5K and 10K events in real-time via Twitter - check out http://twitter.com/swimopenwater.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

American TV Coverage of Swimming

Most of the American open water swimming team competing in the 5K, 10K and 25K races in Rome at the World Swimming Championships will also compete in the USA Swimming National Championships and World Championship (pool) Trials this coming week.

NBC and Universal Sports will televise and webcast the championship events between July 7-11 from Indianapolis where Michael Phelps will be showcased in the most important pool swimming meet on American soil this year.

Universal Sports will broadcast live on Tuesday, July 7 and Wednesday, July 8, both beginning at 6:00 pm. NBC will package the remainder of the meet and broacast on Saturday, July 11 from 1–3 pm., and on Sunday, July 12 from 2-3 pm.

All the preliminary and final sessions will also be webcast live on SwimNetwork where American open water swimming stars Emily Brunemann (see above), Emily Hanson, Andrew Gemmell and Sean Ryan will compete. The television schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday, July 7: 6:00 – 8:30 pm live on Universal Sports
• Wednesday, July 8: 6:00 – 7:45 pm live on Universal Sports
• Saturday, July 11: 1:00 to 3:00 pm taped on NBC
• Sunday, July 12: 2:00 to 3:00 pm taped on NBC

Big Bank For An Open Water Buck

Like its counterparts in Australia, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Spain and many other countries, USA Swimming invests in the development of its open water swimmers.

An effective use of resources is the annual National Open Water Select Camp where America's top distance freestylers are introduced to open water swimming.

Admittedly, after an intensive introduction to the sport, some of the athletes prefer to stick with the pool, but many athletes continue in the sport...and thrive in domestic and international competitions.

After the 2009 open water camp, we did a little analysis of the campers' performance at the 2009 World Swimming Championships Trials.

In the women's 5K race, won by 17-year-old Chloe Sutton of Mission Viejo Nadadores, the swimmers who have attended the camp placed 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th and 21st.

In the men's 5K race, won by Fran Crippen of Germantown Academy, the swimmers who attended the camp placed 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 18th, 21st, 24th and 25th. What is remarkable about the athletes' performance is that the 5K race was very tactical under difficult (i.e., wavy and difficult-to-navigate) conditions.

In the women's 10K race, won by University of Michigan's Emily Brunemann, campers placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 11th and 17th.

In the men's 10K race, also won by Fran Crippen, the campers placed 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 14th, 19th, 23rd, 25th, 31st and 33rd.

The windless 10K race was held under vastly different conditions than the rough water 5K race. Under glassy conditions, the campers utilized a variety of racing tactics and drafting methods they just recently learned to hold their own against the rest of America's best open water swimmers.

In the 5K race, 16-year-old Aja Van Hout of the Badger Aquatics Club made a strong move at the 3.5K mark in which she sprinted from the second (trailing) pack up to the first (leading) pack. This move in the middle of the race helped her secure a top 8 finish. "It was really fun. I liked it."

Similarly, Harvard University's senior captain Alex Meyer made a move at the end of the 10K race when he pulled up alongside the lead pack that gradually led to his qualification to the 2009 World Swimming Championships. "I knew that I had to hold on [in order to draft and be in position to qualify]. I am looking forward to swimming the 25K in Rome."

At the upcoming 2009 World Swimming Championships, the 7-member American team will consist of six campers (with Fran as the only non-camper). The team will include the following:

Fran Crippen (Germantown Academy) in the 5K and 10K*
Delaware Swim Team (Delaware Swim Team) in the 5K and 10K
Sean Ryan (Scenic City Aquatic Club) in the 25K
Alex Meyer (Ithaca Aquatics Club) in the 25K
Emily Brunemann (Club Wolverine) in the 5K and 10K
Eva Fabian (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club) in the 10K and 25K
Emily Hanson (Club Wolverine) in the 5K and 25K (shown above together with camp director Dave Thomas)

The USA will field one of the least experienced teams at the world swimming championships, but their speed, endurance and newly learned racing tactics will help make them very competitive. As they all look towards the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2012 London Olympics, their first step begins in Rome.

* Swimming World Magazine's Morning Swim Show posted an interview with Fran where he takes a look back at his swims in Florida and his swims in the future.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Good Bang For An Open Water Buck

Like its counterparts in Australia, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Spain and many other countries, USA Swimming invests in the development of its open water swimmers.

One of its most effective uses of resources is the annual National Open Water Select Camp where America's top young distance freestylers are selected and introduced to open water swimming.

Admittedly, after an intensive introduction to the sport, some of the athletes prefer to stick with the pool, but many athletes continue in the sport...and thrive in domestic and international competitions.

After the 2009 open water camp, we did a little analysis of the campers' performance at the 2009 World Swimming Championships Trials.

In the women's 5K race, won by 17-year-old Chloe Sutton of Mission Viejo Nadadores, the swimmers who have attended the camp placed 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th and 21st.

In the men's 5K race, won by Fran Crippen of Germantown Academy, the swimmers who attended the camp placed 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 18th, 21st, 24th and 25th. What is remarkable about the athletes' performance is that the 5K race was very tactical under difficult (i.e., wavy and difficult-to-navigate) conditions.

In the women's 10K race, won by University of Michigan's Emily Brunemann, campers placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 11th and 17th.

In the men's 10K race, also won by Fran Crippen, the campers placed 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 14th, 19th, 23rd, 25th, 31st and 33rd.

The windless 10K race was held under vastly different conditions than the rough water 5K race. Under glassy conditions, the campers utilized a variety of racing tactics and drafting methods they just recently learned to hold their own against the rest of America's best open water swimmers.

In the 5K race, 16-year-old Aja Van Hout of the Badger Aquatics Club made a strong move at the 3.5K mark in which she sprinted from the second (trailing) pack up to the first (leading) pack. This move in the middle of the race helped her secure a top 8 finish. "It was really fun. I liked it."

Similarly, Harvard University's senior captain Alex Meyer made a move at the end of the 10K race when he pulled up alongside the lead pack that gradually led to his qualification to the 2009 World Swimming Championships. "I knew that I had to hold on [in order to draft and be in position to qualify]. I am looking forward to swimming the 25K in Rome."

At the upcoming 2009 World Swimming Championships, the 7-member American team will consist of six campers (with Fran as the only non-camper). The team will include the following:

Fran Crippen (Germantown Academy) in the 5K and 10K*
Delaware Swim Team (Delaware Swim Team) in the 5K and 10K
Sean Ryan (Scenic City Aquatic Club) in the 25K
Alex Meyer (Ithaca Aquatics Club) in the 25K
Emily Brunemann (Club Wolverine) in the 5K and 10K
Eva Fabian (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club) in the 10K and 25K
Emily Hanson (Club Wolverine) in the 5K and 25K (shown above together with camp director Dave Thomas)

The USA will field one of the least experienced teams at the world swimming championships, but their speed, endurance and newly learned racing tactics will help make them very competitive. As they all look towards the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2012 London Olympics, their first step begins in Rome.

* Swimming World Magazine's Morning Swim Show posted an interview with Fran where he takes a look back at his swims in Florida and his swims in the future.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Americans Heading To Rome

2007 Pan American Games 10K champion Fran Crippen will be the only veteran on a young American team at the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome.

Fran, Andrew Gemmell of Delaware and NCAA champion Emily Brunemann will each swim the 5K and 10K.

16-year-old Sean Ryan and Harvard senior Alex Meyer will both do the 25K. Eva Fabian will double-up in the 10K and 25K and Emily Hanson of the University of Michigan will double-up in the 5K and 25K.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Great Canadian and American National 10K Championship Race in Florida

Swimming World Magazine covered the strategic USA Swimming National 10K Open Water Swimming Championship in Ft. Myers this warm Sunday morning in Florida.

As America's most experienced international referee Sid Cassidy summarized the competitive race for the Swimming World Magazine, "This was unlike any other race on American soil. It was much more like an international race. It was strategic, the swimmers were making moves and being physical. It was an incredibly effective race, especially for our young [swimmers]."

Read the Swimming World Magazine article here. The results are as follows:

Top 10 Men's Results
1. Philippe Debreuil (Team Canada/Sherwood, Canada), 1:51:38.74
2. Fran Crippen (Germantown Academy Aquatics), 1:52:41.37
3. Andrew Gemmell (Delaware Swim Team), 1:52:43.14
4. Sean Ryan (Scenic City Aquatic Club), 1:52:45.95
5. Alex Meyer (Unattached), 1:52:46.74
6. Deni Cullom (Mission Viejo Nadadores), 1:52:49.42
7. Joe Kinderwater (WSY Swimming), 1:53:06.83
8. Mark Warkentin (Santa Barbara Aquatics Club), 1:53:23.78
9. Connor Signorin (Peddie Aquatic Association), 1:53:32.32
10. Simon Tobin (UL, Canada), 1:53:36.67

Top 10 Women's Results
1. Emily Brunemann (Club Wolverine), 1:58:11.38
2. Eva Fabian (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club), 1:58:13.24
3. Emily Hanson (Club Wolverine), 1:58:27.57
4. Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo Nadadores), 1:58:54.00
5. Christine Jennings (Minnesota Aquatics), 1:58:54.30
6. Nicole Vernon (Delaware Swim Team), 2:01:43.29
7. Heidi George (Los Altos & Mountain View), 2:01:48.32
8. Kirsten Groome (First Colony Swim Team), 2:02:11.99
9. Claire Thompson (West Florida Lightning Aquatic), 2:03:42.50
10. Zsofia Balazs (Team Canada, Canada), 2:03:44.37

Photo shows Sid Cassidy giving a yellow flag to a swimmer in the 10K race in Ft. Myers.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

10K Swim To Rome

This morning in Florida, the USA Swimming National 10K Open Water Swimming Championship will be held with spots open for the American and Canadian world championship team up for grabs.

Grab is a relative term.

"The women are actually rougher than the men. The women just get downright dirty out there. It's going to be a great race," said race organizer Gregg Cross who has been hosting this competitive event for years.

The women field will be tough with newcomers like Emily Brunemann and Emily Hanson (shown on left), both of Club Wolverine, trying to stay with and knock off veterans like Olympian Chloe Sutton, Kirsten Groome, Eva Fabian and Dawn Heckman. On the men's side, Olympian Mark Warkentin and Pan American Games champion Fran Crippen will be trying to do the same with a hungry field including Andrew Gemmell, Adam DeJong (shown on left), Alex Meyer, Connor Signorin, Sean Ryan and Henry Stephenson.

"It's like watching a Tour de France bike race," said Gregg. "Those guys are bumping, kicking, drafting. They are world-class athletes, so they know all the tricks."

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Veterans vs. Newcomers in Ft. Myers National Championships

Olympic 10K marathon swimmers Chloe Sutton (shown on left with Kirsten Groome) and Mark Warkentin (shown below with President Bush) will be the star athletes at Sunday's joint USA Swimming and Swimming Canada's world swimming championship trials.

The two Olympians certainly have plenty of international open water swimming experience to fall back upon.

Kirsten Groome and Joe Kinderwater are two other contenders who will also most definitely be in the mix and who may push the pace along with Chloe and Mark.

However, the American field appears to be wide open and it will be interesting to see what newcomers will break through and be selected to represent the USA and Canada in Rome for the 2009 World Swimming Championships.

Emily Brunemann, Emily Hanson, Christian Sprang and Adam DeJong of Club Wolverine are among the several newcomers, including all of the members of the USA Swimming national open water camp, who will be pushing the veterans.

USA Swimming's Introduction To The Open Water

USA Swimming will hold its National Open Water Select Camp in Ft. Myers, Florida in June.

24 swimmers were selected to participate in the intensive 4-day camp that provides a wealth of open water swimming information, drills, workouts, techniques, strategies, equipment and tactics for use in high-level open water swim competitions. Practices are conducted in both a lake and in the ocean under the guidance of head coach Steven Munatones and Catherine Vogt, Jay Benner and Shannon Gillespy.

The 24 athletes include Emily Brunemann of Club Wolverine (shown above), Emily Hanson of Club Wolverine, Loren Brandon of Mission Aurora, Hayley Edwards of Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club, Aja Van Hout of Badger Aquatics Club, Courtney Otto of Star Swimming, Danielle Beckwith of Badger Aquatics Club, Kelly Winckler of Badger Aquatics Club, Joni Keith of Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics, Kata Fedor of Sarasota YMCA, Marissa Harrington of Sarasota YMCA, Lindsay Vrooman of Pine Richland Aquatics, Sean Ryan of Scenic City Aquatic Club, Ian Rowe of Florida State University (shown below), Tyler Sell of Comets Swim Team, Christian Sprang of Club Wolverine, Adam DeJong of Club Wolverine, Alex Meyer of Ithaca Aquatics Club, Connor Signorin of Peddie Aquatics Association, Shane Lichtenberg of University of Louisville, Mark Neiman of Ohio State, Brent Hitchcock of Ohio State, Graham Munger of Dynamo Swim Club and Marcus Guttmann of Lobo Aquatic Club.

These swimmers include an NCAA champion (Emily Brunemann) and the top young distance freestylers in the US. They have the opportunity to take open water swimming instruction during the camp and then apply it immediately at the 5K and 10K USA Swimming National Championships and World Swimming Championships Selection Trials.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association