Open Water Swimming Olympians – the Men

25 of the world's best open water swimmers will compete in the men's Olympic 10K Marathon Swim starting at 9:00 pm on August 21st (9:00 pm New York time on August 20th).



David Davies of Great Britain will take out the race at an incredibly fast pace and will turn up the heat on each loop. Will the rest of the field including Vladimir Dyatchin, Thomas Lurz, Maarten van der Weijden, Ky Hurst, Mark Warkentin and Petar Stoychev have enough to stick with him and out-sprint him at the end?

Who do you think is going to win? Vote for your gold medal favorite on the left.

Keep in mind that the men will be swimming outdoors in smog, tremendous heat (high 80ºs or nearly 30 ºC) and humidity (probably between 74-77%).

Leaving nothing to chance, Davies’ preparation is apparently aided by the British military experience in desert and jungle warfare. Britain’s Ministry of Defense has special knowledge and specific training suggestions to handle cramps, dehydration and exhaustion caused by the heat and humidity that will tremendously bear down on the swimmers.

Note: the swimmers are listed in the order they qualified for the Olympics.

1. Vladimir Dyatchin, Russia
2. David Davies, Great Britain
3. Thomas Lurz, Germany
4. Maarten van der Weijden, Netherlands
5. Evgeny Drattsev, Russia
6. Ky Hurst, Australia
7. Mark Warkentin, USA
8. Valerio Cleri, Italy
9. Gianniotis Spyridon, Greece
10. Brian Ryckeman, Belgium
11. Gilles Rondy, France
12. Luis Escobar, Mexico
13. Mohamed El-Zanaty Metwaly Mez, Egypt
14. Saleh Mohammad, Syria
15. Petar Stoychev, Bulgaria
16. Csaba Gercsak, Hungary
17. Rostislav Vitek, Czech Republic
18. Chad Ho, South Africa
19. Erwin Maldonado, Venezuela
20. Allan Do Carmo, Brazil
21. Damian Blaum, Argentina
22. Daniel Katzir, Israel*
23. Jose Francisco Hervas, Spain
24. Arseniy Lavrentyev, Portugal
25. Zu Lijun, China

Note: Daniel Katzir of Israel did not meet the Olympic qualification standards of his national federation, so he may be replaced by another swimmer to be named.

Who do you think will win? Vote on the poll on the left-hand border.

Photo by Erin Greene at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships with silver medalist David Davies, gold medalist Vladimir Dyatchin and bronze medalist Thomas Lurz pictured from left to right.

Copyright © 2008 by World Open Water Swimming Association

10K Marathon Swimming Darkhorses - The Men

As the men's favorites from Australia, Russia and Germany enter the Shunyi Olympic Rowing Park for the Olympic 10km Marathon Swim, all eyes of the aquatic world and the NBC cameras will be on Australia's Grant Hackett, Russia's Vladimir Dyatchin and Germany's Thomas Lurz. But there will be other swimmers who are capable of stealing the gold from their more renowned competitors.

A crash around the last turn buoy, overheating in humid conditions, a mix-up at the feeding station or a red card disqualification is all it takes for one of the darkhorses to win. Egypt's top medal hopeful, Mohamed El Zanety, Greek's fastest swimmer, Spyridon Giannotis, Britain's cagey Alan Bircher, or the American duo of Chip Peterson and Mark Warkentin, will be ready to take advantage of any mistake and pounce into the position to capture gold.

Indeed, even Grant Hackett's own teammate, Ky Hurst, and Dyatchin's teammate, Evgeny Drattsev, will be baiting their opponents, plotting their own strategies, constantly drafting and battling into the optimal positions for the final sprint.

One tactical error, one missed feeding, one poor turn around a buoy, one kick in the gut...and dreams of Olympic gold will be gone.

If any of the favorites plan to take off right from the start, it will be a risky strategy. Will any one swimmer - or a pair of teammates from the same country - risk taking off on a punishing pace early in the race to build a seemingly insurmountable lead? Can anyone - or pair of countrymen like Hackett and Hurst - or even two fierce competitors like Hackett and Lurz - forge into a huge lead and then hope to have enough to hang on? This strategy might be something Hackett and Hurst contemplate given the success of Melissa Gorman at the 2008 Australian Open Water Swimming Championships, but history tells us that kind of strategy is generally a failed one.

Just ask Britain's Alan Bircher who took it out extremely strong and built a 2+ minute lead at the 7.5K point at the 2004 World Open Water Swimming Championships...only to be caught at the end by a surging pack.

If it comes down to a photo-finish, who better to out-touch Hackett than 6'-9" Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands who always cruises behind the leaders and is notorious for turning on the jets in the last 500 meters?

If Hackett's goggles get inadvertently torn off...if Dyatchin misses his feedings...if Lurz finds himself pitched in - or elbowed - around the last buoy, the gates to Olympic glory are open to many. But, who will it be: Egypt's El Zanety? Greece's Giannotis? Britain's Bircher? Australian Hurst? The Netherlands' van der Weijden? Or one of the Americans, Peterson - a Tarheel who grew up along the North Carolina coast or Warkentin - a Trojan who lives near the beaches of Santa Barbara?

Stay tuned for the expected photo finish about 11:50 am Beijing time on August 21, 2008.

Copyright © 2008 by World Open Water Swimming Association