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)

Spanish Stars Heading To Rome

The Real Federación Española de Natación announced its open water swimming team for the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome today. José Hervás, Diego Nogueira, Margarita Domínguez, Esther Núñez (who is interviewed towards the 10th minute in the Spanish program "Temps d'aventura" shown below) and Yurema Requena will proudly represent Spain.

European 25K champion Margarita Domínguez will swim the 10K and 25K. The 2008 World 10K bronze medalist and 2008 Olympian Yurema Requena (shown on left, 13th in Beijing) will swim the 5K and 10K and the 2007 FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix champion Esther Núñez will swim the 25K.

Diego Nogueira will have a full plate in Rome and will swim the 5K, 10K and 25K and Olympian José Hervás (13th in Beijing) will swim the 5K and 10K.

The Spaniards are an experienced team with years of battling it out in waterways around the world, including venues at the FINA World Cup, FINA Grand Prix, World Championships, LEN Cup, European Championships and the Olympic Games.

Physical and Spiritual Strength to Succeed

Surrounded by the sheer cliff walls in Sumidero Canyon in southern Mexico, Petar Stoychev and Britta Kamrau came through yet again with nail-biting victories. When it comes to marathon swims, these two new inductees in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame live up to their well-deserving reputations.

Petar, Bulgaria's flag-bearer at the 2008 Olympics, set a new course record of 3:09.49.58 just barely edging out Diego Nogueira of Spain in 3:09.51.64 and defending champion Ivan Lopez of 3:09.53.12. Michael Dmitriev of Israel was fourth in 3:10.21.51.

All four swimmers had taken turns leading the pack at one point, but it was the experience and strength of Petar that won the day. "I did not, at any time, feel under pressure. But as the [race] progressed, I made my best effort to be able to deliver my final attack. The effort made in the skills of open water is quite exhausting, you must have a physical and spiritual strength to succeed."

The women's race also came down to a stroke-for-stroke finish between German rivals Britta Kamrau and Angela Maurer. By less than half a second, Britta out-touched Angela in a time of 3:24.25.71 to 3:24.26.29. Right on their hips, Daniela Inacio of Portugal and Esther Núñez of Spain finished in 3:24.32.15 and 3:24.32.52, respectively.

For Mexico, the race also served as its national team selection meet for the FINA World Swimming Championships in Rome. Ivan, Manuel Chiu and Zaira Cardenas secured their country's positions for Rome.

Swimmers from 11 different nations raced on the Grijalva River with many of them also heading to Rome to renew their open water rivalries. The top 10 results are below:

1. Peter Stoychev (Bulgaria) 3:09.49
2. Diego Nogueira (Spain) 3:09.51
3. Iván López (Mexico) 3:09.53
4. Michael Dimitrev (Israel) 3:10.21
5. Saleh Mohammad (Syria) 3:10.27
6. Damián Blaum (Argentina) 3:10.58
7. Gabriel Villagoys (Argentina) 3:10.59
8. Arseniy Larentyev (Portugal) 3:11.01
9. Manuel Chiu (Mexico) 3:11.02
10. Rodolfo Valenti (Italy) 3:11.02

1. Britta Kamrau (Germany) 3:24.25
2. Angela Maurer (Germany) 3:24.26
3. Daniela Inacio (Portugal) 3:24.32
4. Esther Nunez (Spain) 3:24.32
5. Zaira Cardenas (Mexico) 3:25.12
6. Pilar Geijo (Argentina) 3:26.25
7. Kozamernik Nina (Slovakia) 3:27.00
8. Cindy Toscano (Guatamala) 3:29.00
9. Lily Anzueto (Mexico) 3:32.46
10. Mariananela Mendoza (Argentina) 3:37.59

Photo by Agency Mexsports shows the escort boats in Sumidero Canyon. More photos will be posted soon.

Swimming in the Canyon and Enjoying Every Moment

Kimberly Plewa (shown swimming in New York on left) is the only American entered into the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix in Sumidero Canyon race on April 18th in México.

The Sumidero Canyon race, #27 in the World's Top 100 Open Water Swims, is known formally as XX Maratón de Natación Cañón del Sumidero and is one of the world's most scenic marathon swims.

The 15K Maratón de Natación Cañón del Sumidero takes place on the Grjalva River and was started in 1989 as a memorial for first swim in 1960 by the Pañuelo Rojo (Red Handkerchief) team. The water temperature is approximately 25ºC (77ºF).

Iván López of México and Britta Kamrau of Germany are the defending champions. The Mexican national 25K trials for the World Swimming Championships will be held concurrently with the race.

In the 2009 race, Iván will be competing against Diego Nogueira of Spain, Emilio Angel Fransen of Argentina, Marcos Pinheiro of Brazil, Aleksey Akatiev of Russia, Damian Blaum of Argentina, Fouad Shaikh of Syria, Saleh Mohamed of Syria, Gasper Bohihc of Slovakia, Michael Dmitriev of Israel, Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria, Rodolfo Valenti of Italy, Gabriel Villagoys of Argentina, Rostislav Vitek of the Czech Republic, Rodrigo Elorza of México, Daniel Delgadillo of México and Luis Escobar of México

Kimberly and Britta, who has already won two races on the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit this year, will be competing against Yurema Requema of Spain, Esther Nuñez of Spain (shown on left), Ana Uvarova of Russia, Pilar Geijo of Argentina, Nika Kozamernik of Slovakia, Angela Maurer of Germany, Marinela Mendoza of Argentina, Patricia Castañeda of México, Odette Saldivar of México, Alejandra González of México, Lily Anzueto of México and Zaira Cárdenas México.

Esther, who was third overall in the 2008 FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix, had some good advice for newcomers into the sport, "Enjoy every moment, every movement in solitude, and every goal you reach even if it is small, as only you know how difficult it was to achieve it."

Photo of Sumidero Canyon by Dr. Jim Miller.

Ivan Lopez Wins Final Pro Race in Mexico

Mexico's own Ivan Lopez won the final race on the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit in Chiapas, Mexico on October 18th. The 15K race cuts through the incredibly scenic Sumidero Canyon (Cañon Sumidero) along the Grijalva River.

As is usual in this race, the swim was a close 15K mano-a-mano battle with the top swimmers thrashing through the canyon. The exuberant Lopez finished just ahead of Russia’s Daniil Serebrennikov and Damian Blaum of Argentina.

Lopez said, "I had always been my goal to win a [FINA] Grand Prix. Finally after several years, it was achieved and I am very satisfied and very happy. It was a very strong close race. We swam very fast from the beginning and at the end, I luckily got a good position in the group and managed to reach the goal tenths before anyone else."

In contrast, Britta Kamrau easily won the women’s race by over five minutes in 3:18:25 over Mexico's Alejandra Gonzalez and Esther Nuñez Morera of Spain.

Photos by Dr. Jim Miller.

MEN:
1. Ivan Lopez (MEX), 3:13:52
2. Daniil Serebrennikov (RUS), 3:13:53.40
3. Damian Blaum (ARG), 3:13:53.97

WOMEN:
1. Britta Kamrau-Corestein (GER), 3:18:25
2. Alejandra Gonzalez (MEX), 3:23:18
3. Esther Nuñez Morera (ESP), 3:24:36

Stoychev & Pankina are the Top Marathon Pros

Petar Stoychev is the overall winner of the 2008 FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix for the eighth consecutive year. From 2001 to 2008, Stoychev has been dominant and won this year's Grand Prix series with 126 points. Stoychev won six races out of nine races on the pro cricuit. He was by Brendan Capell(89 points) and Stéphane Gomez (84 points).

Natalia Pankina won the women's circuit with 110 points, winning four of the nine races. She was followed by Stefanie Biller (99 points) and defending series champion Esther Nuñez Morera (85 points).

MEN
1. Petar Stoychev (BUL): 126 pts, US$15,000
2. Brendan Capell (AUS): 89 pts, US$10,000
3. Stéphane Gomez (FRA): 84 pts, US$5,000

WOMEN
1. Natalia Pankina (RUS): 110 pts, US$15,000
2. Stefanie Biller (GER): 99 pts, US$10,000
3. Esther Nuñez Morera (ESP): 85 pts, US$5,000

Photo of Petar Stoychev in Beijing by Pei Qingsheng