Doubling Up for the World Championships

The USA Swimming 10K National Championships and World Championship Team Trials will be held in Ft. Myers, Florida on June 14th. The trials are held concurrently with Swimming Canada's World Championship team trials, so the competition should be good.

The Open Water Festival, run by Gregg Cross, includes a US Masters Swimming 5K Open race, the USA Swimming National 5K Championships, US Masters Swimming one-mile race, Florida Swimming's 800-meter 10&U Open Water Junior Olympics, 1.5K 11-12 Open Water Junior Olympics, 2.5K 13-14 Open Water Junior Olympics, 2.5K Senior Open Water Championships and a Duathlon (1.5K run + 400-meter swim + 1.5K run) and the USMS Masters Mile (Florida vs. Florida Gold Coast Challenge).

In addition to the top Canadian swimmers, there will probably be at least four experienced open water swimmers in the women's 10K lead pack. Olympian 10K swimmer Chloe Sutton, who is swimming extraordinarily well in the pool nowadays, will probably push the pace with Kirsten Groome, Eva Fabian and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Ashley Whitney fighting for a berth on the world championship team. We have heard of a few other top swimmers who will enter, but whose coaches wish their participation to be kept confidential until the entry list is made public.

With such a competitive group of Americans and Canadians, maintaining a good position within the lead pack is going to be tough, but it will be good preparation for the world championships in Rome.

What is interesting is how each of the swimmers will view the 5K and 10K races. The 5K race is on Friday and the 10K race is on Sunday. Most Europeans double-up on the 5K and 10K at the world and European championships, believing they are well-prepared to perform well in both races with two days rest.

However, with so much on the line at the trials, we wonder if the top swimmers are going to go all-out in the 5K - or just get a good feel for the course. With such a competitive group and so few top open water races in the US, it is our guess that no one will want to simply concede the 5K with plenty of time to recouperate for the 10K. But, we'll see.

London 2012 Open Water Race in the Ocean

The News Press of Ft. Myers, Florida reported today that the International Olympic Committee decided that the open water swimming in the London 2012 Olympics will be held in the ocean.

The Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the Beijing Olympics were held in the Olympic rowing-canoeing basin.

"Open water swimming has almost done a 360 (degree turn) with the decision about the London Olympics. Now, we provide a venue that no one else can provide," said Swim Florida coach and open water promoter Gregg Cross at the Aaron Peirsol's Race for the Oceans event this weekend in Ft. Myers.

Confirmation of the IOC announcement is being immediately sought.

USA Swimming Open Water Video

Under the leadership of Dave Thomas of USA Swimming, all 2,800 swim clubs registered with USA Swimming will receive a nice open water swimming Christmas present. Thomas has arranged for the teams to receive a USA Swimming Open Water Swimming DVD that covers all aspects of competitive open water swimming.

The video, currently in post-production, was shot at the USA Swimming National Open Water Select Camp in Ft. Myers, Florida. It was a collaboration by national team coaches Rick Walker of Southern Illinois University, Catherine Vogt of USC and Steven Munatones. Dean Ekeren, USA Swimming National Events Director and Gregg Cross, inspirational race director of numerous national championships in Ft. Myers, also assisted in the production of the video.

The educational video covers in-pool training for open water swimming, open water swimming drills and skills, drafting, feeding, starts, finishes, buoy turns, setting up an open water race and safety.

Photo shows the top female open water swimmers at the 2007 USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships, all of whom have participated in the USA Swimming National Open Water Select Camps where the best pool distance swimmers are given an opportunity to receive a comprehensive and intense introduction to open water swimming.

Glen S. Hummer Award Winners

USA Swimming has awarded the Glen S. Hummer Award since 1978. The Award was named for an Olympian and coach and is presented to the person or group making the greatest contribution to open water swimming.

Award winners represents Hummer's attitude toward life and his dedication to the sport of open water swimming.

1978: Glen S. Hummer and and Cliff Brown
1979: Don Watson and Betty Talbot
1980: La Jolla Town Counsel and Swim Swim Magazine
1981: Neal and Sue Shepard
1982: Huntington Indiana YMCA Booster Club
1983: Buck Dawson
1984: Luke (Mac) Tesky
1985: Penny Lee Dean
1986: Dale Petranech
1987: Keith Barnes
1988: Dotty York
1989: George Haines
1990: Jimi Flowers
1991: Wilton YMCA Wahoos
1992: Rick Walker
1993: James Whelan
1994: Jennifer Parks and Gail Dummer
1995: International Swimming Hall of Fame
1996: Sid Cassidy
1997: Bob Duenkel
1998: Dianne Limerick
1999: Dave Thomas
2000: Brian Schrader
2001: George Bare and Jacque Grossman
2002: Denny Ryther
2003: Dr. Jim Miller
2004: Julie Bare
2005: Rick Walker, Steven Munatones, Denny Ryther, Mike Shrader, Catherine Vogt, Jeremy Vail and Dr. Jim Miller (2005 USA Swimming Open Water World Championship Team Staff)
2006: Gregg Cross
2007: Steven Munatones
2008: Bill Rose

Photo of Hummer from the Hummeralums blog.