Extensive TV Coverage Of Open Water

Europe will enjoy live start-to-finish high-definition television coverage of the 5K, 10K and 25K open water events at the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome Rai TV. This is unprecedented coverage of the sport of open water.

There will be 7 cameras filming at Ostia Beach: covering the races onshore, on the water and from the air.

In the US, Universal Sports will also broadcast and webcast pool swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and open water swimming.

Fans in the US can enjoy Universal Sports' 5-10 minute recap of the 5K, 10K and 25K open water races. The recap will air nightly on Universal Sports' TV programming starting Sunday, July 19th.

Additionally, the same open water coverage will be made available online VOD after it airs on TV as well as covered live via Twitter (http://twitter.com/swimopenwater).

Enjoy the TV broadcast, the online webcast and the live tweets.

Open Water Swim Volunteers Extraordinaire

The Manhattan Island Marathon Swim is tomorrow and an incredible fact has surfaced: for every swimmer participating in the race, there are a total of 8 volunteers helping out in the water. From escort boat pilots and race referees to kayakers and paddlers, the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim is one of the rare open water swims where the volunteers far outnumber the athletes.

If the swim is cancelled or postponed for any reason during the race (e.g., lightening), the support crew notes the GPS location in their race log when they are informed of the postponement or cancellation. If the race is resumed, then the swimmer returns to the exact location noted in the race logo according to the GPS.

The expected average water temperature tomorrow will be between 62-63°F (16.6-17.2°C). Follow the race live at Twitter at http://twitter.com/swimopenwater.

Twitter Open Water in Encinitas

Twitter Open Water will be covering a California coastal ocean swim, Moonlight Beach 1-mile Swim this coming Sunday.

As the summer season comes around in the Northern Hemisphere, these fun-filled seaside or lakeside sports festivals are in abundance in thousands of cities around the world. The events usually have multiple races, music, food, entertaining announcers and loads of fun for competitors, family and friends alike.

Twittering Open Water Swimming

We have used Twitter to cover open water swims since 2007, including the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing. Now the technology - extraordinarily well-suited for open water swimming - is being used by open water swims from Florida to Fiji, including the 12th annual 24-mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim on April 18th.

Follow the RCP Tiburon Mile Live

The incredibly competitive RCP Tiburon Mile will be covered in real-time via Twitter. Click here (twitter.com/swimopenwater) to follow the prestigious open water swimming race live at 9 am PT on Sunday, October 5.

Photo of defending champion Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia from the Tiburon Mile website.

USA Swimming Convention - Live Updates

Live updates from the floor and hallways of the USA Swimming annual convention in Atlanta will be provided via Twitter - especially as it pertains to open water swimming. The agenda of this September 23-28 convention is posted here. To register, go to Twitter - and look under Olympic 10K Marathon Swim.