CORRECTION regarding LONDON 2012

The information about the 2012 London Olympics holding the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in the ocean was CONFIRMED TO BE FALSE!

Key individuals involved with the planning of the 2012 London Olympics confirmed the preference of the Serpentine in the heart of London as the intended site for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim.

The Serpentine was man-made by joining a series of small ponds together back in 1730, under the direction of Queen Caroline. One of the first competitions in the Serpentine was in 1837 promoted by a London wine merchant by collecting an entrance fee from competitors. A gold medal and the title of 'Champion of the Serpentine River' was first awarded in a 1838 Grand Match. Twelve athletes, including the Champion of England and the Champion of London, competed in front of 20,000 spectators over a distance of 1000 yards in a Bridge-to-Bridge race.

In 1872, J.B. Johnson, the Captain of the Serpentine Club and reigning Champion of England, was recognised as the first man to attempt the English Channel (later successfully crossed for the first time by Captain Matthew Webb in 1875). Johnson, beat A. Truatz, the reigning American champion, in Long Branch, New Jersey in 1874 to become the Champion of the World, winning US$2,000 and a Tiffany cup.

Upper photo of Lake Serpentine and the Serpentine Swimming Club members is from the Serpentine Swimming Club website.

Lower detail is from The Graphic from September 7th, 1872 and shows J. B. Johnson starting his English Channel swim attempt on August 24th 1872, courtesy of the Dover Museum.

Future of Open Water Swimming at the Olympics

The 2008 Beijing Olympics were a grand success and included the first Olympic 10K Marathon Swim. It is rumored that the 2012 London Olympics will hold its Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in The Serpentine, a lake in Hyde Park in the center of London London.

There are currently four cities on the short list to host the 2016 Olympics: Madrid, Rio de Janiero, Tokyo and Chicago. The decision will be made in less than one year.

If Madrid wins the 2016 Olympic bid, the Madrid Olympics open water race will be held in a rowing basin.

If Rio de Janiero wins the 2016 Olympic bid, the Rio de Janiero Olympics open water race will be in Copacabana Beach in the Atlantic Ocean.

If Chicago wins the 2016 Olympic bid, the Chicago Olympics open water race will be in Lake Michigan. With the long history of successfully holding the popular Big Shoulders 5K, the Chicago bid is well-prepared on the open water swimming front.

If Tokyo wins the 2016 Olympic bid, it is unclear where the Tokyo Olympics open water race will be held, but it is probable that the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim will be held in the rowing basin or right outside Tokyo Bay near the Olympic facilities.

At the annual U.S. Aquatic Sports convention, USA Swimming President Jim Wood encouraged interested Olympic fans to keep up on the Olympic bids by reading Around the Rings website.

History of The Serpentine

With the 2012 London Olympics Organizing Committee considering the Serpentine in the heart of London as the site for the 10K Marathon Swim, Alan Titmuss of the Serpentine Swimming Club provides some historical perspective:

The Serpentine was man-made by joining a series of small ponds together back in 1730, under the direction of Queen Caroline. One of the first competitions in the Serpentine was in 1837 promoted by a London wine merchant by collecting an entrance fee from competitors. A gold medal and the title of 'Champion of the Serpentine River' was first awarded in a 1838 Grand Match. Twelve athletes, including the Champion of England and the Champion of London, competed in front of 20,000 spectators over a distance of 1000 yards in a Bridge-to-Bridge race.

[Note: It is estimated that there will be at least ten times this number of spectators watching the 2012 London Olympic 10K Marathon Swim.]

In 1872, J.B. Johnson, the Captain of the Serpentine Club and reigning Champion of England, was recognised as the first man to attempt the English Channel (later successfully crossed for the first time by Captain Matthew Webb in 1875). Johnson, beat A. Truatz, the reigning American champion, in Long Branch, New Jersey in 1874 to become the Champion of the World, winning US$2,000 and a Tiffany cup.

Upper photo of Lake Serpentine and the Serpentine Swimming Club members is from the Serpentine Swimming Club website.

Lower detail is from The Graphic from September 7th, 1872 and shows J. B. Johnson starting his English Channel swim attempt on August 24th 1872, courtesy of the Dover Museum.

2012 London Olympics 10K Marathon Swim

Although the 2012 London Olympics 10K Marathon Swim has yet to be formally approved by the IOC, unofficial rumors have circulated that the race might be held in Lake Serpentine in Hyde Park in the heart of London.

World-class open water swimmers like Damian Blaum of Argentina have already created websites celebrating their anticipated participation in the 2012 London Olympic 10K.

USA Swimming announced its plans to get its best open water swimmers ready for London. The USA Swimming National Team 2009-2012 Quadrennial Plan is as follows:

2009
June 14: 2009 World Swimming Championships Selection Meet in Ft. Myers, Florida
July 13-19: International Training Camp
July 19-25: 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy
August: USA Swimming National Open Water 10K Championships
September 7: FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup on Governor's Island, New York

2010
July 17-22: 2010 World Open Water Swimming Championships in Lac St-Jean, Quebec, Canada
August: USA Swimming National Open Water 10K Championships
August 23: Pan Pacific Championships (Open Water)

2011
July 17-23: 2011 World Swimming Championships (open water) in Shanghai, China
August: USA Swimming National Open Water 10K Championships

2012
July 27-August 20: London Olympic Games

If the 2012 Olympic 10K race is indeed held in Lake Serpentine, there is an annual Peter Pan Christmas Day Race that was captured by U.S. Marine Major, Duff Kelly:



Photo of Lake Serpentine and the Serpentine Swimming Club members is from the Serpentine Swimming Club website. Kevin Murphy and many English Channel swimmers are members of the Serpentine Swimming Club website.