World Championship Men's 10K Race Results

The confirmed men's 10K race results from the 2009 World Championships are as follows:

Gold: Thomas Lurz (GER), 1:52:06.9
Silver: Andrew Gemmell (USA), 1:52:08.3
Bronze: Fran Crippen (USA), 1:52:10.7

4. Valerio Cleri (ITA), 1:52:11.4
5. Brian Ryckeman (BEL), 1:52:13.1
6. Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE), 1:52:13.6
7. Francisco Jose Hervas (ESP), 1:52:14.7
8. Trent Grimsey (AUS), 1:52:14.8
9. Mazen Metwaly (EGY), 1:52:14.9
10. Evgeny Drattsev (RUS), 1:52:15.0
11. Luis Escober (MEX), 1:52:18.0
12. Jakub Fichtl (CZE), 1:52:24.0
13. Csaba Gercsak (HUN), 1:52:28.0
14. Arseniy Lavrentyev (POR), 1:52:28.2
15. Diego Nogueira Montero (ESP), 1:52:37.1
16. Antonio Fokaidis (GRE), 1:52:41.3
17. Daniel Fogg (GBR), 1:52:44.3
18. Sergey Bolshakov (RUS), 1:52:44.5
19. Ivan Lopez (MEX), 1:52:45.9
20. Julien Codevelle (FRA), 1:52:47.2
21. Rhys Mainstone (AUS), 1:52:50.2
22. Allan Do Carmo (BRA), 1:52:52.2
23. Chad Ho (RSA), 1:53:13.1
24. Bertrand Venturi (FRA), 1:53:14.5
25. Adel El-Behary (EGY), 1:53:52.1
26. Simon Tobin-Daignault (CAN), 1:53:53.9
27. Christian Reichert (GER), 1:54:09.9
28. Michael Dmitriev (ISR), 1:54:29.6
29. Petar Stoychev (BUL), 1:54:50.8
30. Jan Posmourny (CZE), 1:55.17.4
31. Ventsislav Aydarski (BUL), 1:55:53.5
32. Simone Ercoli (ITA), 1:56:46.3
33. Daniel Viegas (POR), 1:58:21.3
34. Craig Hamilton (GBR), 1:58:55.7
35.Kurt Niehaus (CRC), 1:59:25.0
36. Ivan Enderica (ECU), 1:59:29.4
37. Philippe Dubreuil (CAN), 1:59:38.9
38. Marcelo Romanelli Soares (BRA), 2:00:42.2
39. Esteban Enderica (ECU), 2:01:48.8
40. Josip Soldo (CRO), 2:08:07.2
41. Tomislav Soldo (CRO), 2:12:19.8
42. Juan Prem Biere (GUA), 2:20:48.2
Elgun Babayev (AZE), DNF
Rusian Bolshakov (AZE), DNF
Angel Moreira (VEN), DNF
Igor Chervynskiy (UKR), DSQ
Igor Snitko (UKR), DSQ
Yvan Hernandez (VEN), DSQ

Lurz Holds On For World Championship Gold

Thomas Lurz who last won the world 5K championship in 2005, swam solidly to capture another world championship gold medal.

Under near perfect conditions after days of strong winds, Thomas proved why he is one of the most successful open water swimmers today: He sat back in the pack when necessary, he took the lead when the opportunity presented itself, he made a surge to create separation and he closed with a strong sprint on the first day of open water swimming in Ostia, Italy.

Swimming World Magazine's article on the race is here.

The official results are as follows:

GOLD: Thomas Lurz, GER: 56:26.9
SILVER: Spyridon Gianniotis, GRE: 56:27.2
BRONZE: Chad Ho, RSA: 56:41.9
4. Luca Ferritti, ITA: 56:44.3
5. Andrew Gemmell, USA: 56:44.9
6. Loic Branda, FRA: 56:47.0
7. Francis Crippen, USA: 56:47.1
8. Diego Nogueira Montero, ESP: 56:47.2
9. Simone Ruffini, ITA: 56:47.3
10. Francisco Jose Hervas, ESP: 56:47.9
10. Vladimir Dyatchin, RUS: 56:47.9
12. Evgeny Drattsev, RUS: 56:48.5
13. Andrew Beato, AUS: 56:52.4
14. Rodrigo Elorza, MEX: 56:55.3
15. Csaba Gercsak, HUN: 57:07.1
16. Trent Grimsey, AUS: 57:07.2
17. Jan Posmourny, CZE: 57:07.8
18. Julien Sauvage, FRA: 57:09.6
19. Luiz Eduardo Lima, BRA: 57:11.1
20. Jakub Fichtl, CZE: 57:21.1
21. Jan Wolfgarten, GER: 57:31.7
22. David Creel, CAN: 57:37.1
23. Kostiantyn Ukradyga, UKR: 57:48.8
24. Richard Charlesworth, GBR: 57:57.4
25. Igor Snitko, UKR: 57:58.1
26. Luis Rogerio Arapiraca, BRA: 58:04.9
27. Daniel Viegas, POR: 58:05.0
28. Daniel Delgadillo, MEX: 58:17.7
29. Kurt Niehaus, CRC: 58:17.8
30. Esteban Enderica, ECU: 58:17.9
31. Gergely Gyurta, HUN: 58:20.8
32. Daniel Marais, RSA: 59:21.9
33. Alfie Howes, GBR: 59:36.8
34. Ivan Enderica, ECU: 59:40.1
35. Yvan Hernandez, VEN: 1:01:53.9
36. Angel Moreira, VEN: 1:01:57.1
37. Tomas Vachan, SVK: 1:02.06.8
38. Juan Prem Biere, GUA: 1:07:45.2
39. Mohammed Jassim Alghareeb, KSA: 1:07.49.8
Orel Jeffrey, ANT: Over time limit
Kareem Valentine, ANT: Over time limit

Close Races By Pros Heading To Rome

Thomas Lurz's close victory in the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup race in Setubal, Portugal (Setubal Bay International Swim Marathon) was mirrored by Brazil's Poliana Okimoto (shown on left after a 2008 FINA race in Dubai).


Poliana, seventh in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim, outsprinted her fellow Olympians after 9K of surges and fades. Poliana won in 1:42:32 over Germany's Angela Maurer (1:42:33), Germany's Stefanie Biller (1:42:37) and Brazil's Ana Marcela Cunha (1:42:52).

On the men's side, it also came down to the wire. Thomas pulled out an exciting victory in 1 hour 34 minutes 16 seconds in front of Germany's Christian Reichert in 1:34:18.00, Brazil's Allan Carmo in 1:34:18.15, Greece's Spyridon Gianniotis in 1:34:29 and Bulgaria's Petar Stoychev in 1:35:33.

Rome is going to be a real treat to watch - follow the races on Twitter (http://twitter.com/swimopenwater ).

Setubal Bay race photos by aqualoja can be seen here. The always innovative aqualoja also provides race videos here.

Open Water Swimming in the Guinness Book of Records

The 1.2K Lorne Pier to Pub set an official Guinness World Record in the category of "most participants in an open water race" when 3,071 swimmers completed the 1998 Pier to Pub. The event has since gone on to increase its participants, but capped its maximum number at 4,000 starting in 2001.


Today, in western Australia, the inaugural 1K ECU West Coast 1000 World Record Swim will attempt to break that record by getting to the 5,000-participant mark.


Whatever event sets (or keeps) the world record, it will be hard-pressed to keep up with the amazing popularity and growth of the 36th Halfway Telkom Midmar Mile in the picturesque Kwa Zulu Natal Midlands in South Africa in February 2009.

The Midmar Mile has reached unprecedented heights by adding 5K, 10K and 25K races to the traditional 1-mile race in the Midmar Dam.

In addition to South African stars, like Chad Ho, a 2008 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee, a talented group of international stars will head over to the Midmar Mile to win the prestigious event.

Beijing Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist and another World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee Thomas Lurz will lead the international charge that will include Beijing Olympic 10K Marathon Swim silver medalist and another World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year nominee David Davies, woman’s Olympic 10K Marathon Swim silver medalist Keri-Anne Payne, Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist Cassandra Patten, European 5K champion Spyridon Gianniotis, Hungarian Olympian 10K’er Csaba Gercsak, 2008 FINA World Cup series champion Valerio Cleri, Italian Olympian Martina Grimaldi, Italian pro swimmer Alice Franco, 7th-place finisher in the Olympic 10K Brian Ryckeman, Nika Kozamernik from Slovenia and Darija Pop from Montenegro.

For more information on the Midmar Mile, click here.

Upper photo of Spyridon Gianniotis by Giorgio Scala of Deep Blue Media. Lower photo of Keri-Anne Payne and Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist Cassandra Patten.

Greek Victory in the Men's 5K Time Trial

Spyridon Gianniotis, a Greek soldier by profession, won his most important battle to date when he captured his first European Open Water Swimming title in the men’s 5K time trial event. Gianniotis, who finished 12th in the 1500-meter freestyle in the pool and 16th in the 10K race in Beijing and finaled in both the 400 and 1500 in the 2004 Athens Olympics, used his speed to dominate the competition. Gianniotis finished in 52:57.2, nearly 1 minute ahead of Germany's Jan Wolfgarten (53:55.7) and Thomas Lurz (54:04.3).

Gianniotis, who was near the lead with David Davies towards the end of the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing said, "As a former pool swimmer, the time trial format suits me very well. I led for a long time in yesterday’s 10K race, while the others behind me saved their strength and overtook me at the end. However, I shall continue to compete in both the 5km time trial and the 10km events."

Jan Wolfgarten, who swam in his first-ever international open water swimming event expressed his gratitude for his German teammate, "It was a big problem to swim against the sun on the way back to the finish. I hardly cold see anything. In between I almost panicked because I thought I had missed a buoy, but luckily it then appeared. The silver medal is fantastic at my first ever participation in a major international open water swimming event. Of course I benefit a lot from practising together with Thomas Lurz who gives me valuable advice. Now I may think about the 2012 Olympics."

Lurz, who won the 10K the previous day, graciously recalled "I could still feel yesterday’s race in my bones and the after-effects from the Olympics because I reduced training after Beijing. Considering this, I’m very happy with the bronze medal, and congratulate the two competitors ahead of me. Spiridon in particular really deserved to finally win a title. He did a lot in many competitions this year."

Upper photo of Spyridon Gianniotis taken by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.

Middle photo shows last turn buoy of the men's 5K time trial, taken by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.

Lower photo shows Luca Ferretti of Italy at the starting pontonn, taken by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.

Getting Ready in the Pool for the 10K

Several open water swimmers swam extremely fast over the last few days in the Water Cube in Beijing.

In addition to Cassandra Patten making the finals of the 800-meter freestyle, Britain's David Davies made the finals in the 1500-meter freestyle in an incredibly quick 14:46.11 in the most impressive preliminary 1500 heat in history.

English Channel record holder Petar Stoychev dropped his seed time seven seconds to do a very respectable 15:28.84. Greece's Spyridon Gianniotis did an even more respectable 14:53.32 that, unbelievably, was not fast enough to qualify for the finals.

Photo of Petar Stoychev winning the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim qualification race in Beijing. Photo by Pei Qingsheng.

A Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Darkhorse

Under the incredibly hot, humid and smoggy conditions in Beijing, it seems inplausible for athletes to swim the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim the same way they would do under normal or colder conditions.

Whether the water temperature is 28ºC (82ºF) or 31ºC (87.8ºF) and whether the humidity is 70% or 85%, the race conditions seem to favor those swimmers who are carrying less body fat than their competitors.

In the men's Olympic 10K Marathon Swim, these conditions seem to favor a lean swimmer like Brian Ryckeman of Belgium.

Brian is a 3:53 400-meter and a 15:31 1500-meter freestyler from Belgium who stands 6'-5" (201 cm) and weighs 165 lbs (74.8 kg). He has consistenty placed in the top 10 for years and can handle himself well in the physical battles. Most impressively, at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships in Seville, Spain, Brian's feeding cup was smashed by one of his competitors and he had to swim the entire distance "on empty".

Brian may be flying under the radar at the Olympics, but the stars and weather may be lining up for a darkhorse medal swim for Belgium's lone open water swimmer in Beijing.

Photo by Javier Blazquez of the men's 10K race where Brian is shown in the black cap staring at Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece in the blue-and-white cap. Grant Hackett is ahead of them in the green cap, but Brian passed him in the last 2K.