World Championship Women's 25K Start List

The women's 25K start list (18 individuals total) was announced by FINA for the 2009 World Swimming Championships for the 9:10 am start (Rome time) on Saturday, July 25th in Ostia Beach.

Race number, names and countries are noted below:


102. Kate Brookes-Peterson (AUS)
103. Shelley Clark (AUS)
120. Margarita Domingues (ESP)
121. Esther Nunez Morera (ESP)
124. Celia Barrot (FRA)
126. Cathy Dietrich (FRA)
131. Stefanie Biller (GER)
133. Angela Maurer (GER)
141. Martina Grimaldi (ITA)
142. Federica Vitale (ITA)
143. Zaira Cardenas (MEX)
147. Linsy Heister (NED)
154. Natalya Pankina (RUS)
156. Anna Uvarova (RUS)
157. Nika Kozamernik (SLO)
164. Eva Fabian (USA)
165. Emily Hanson (USA) - shown on right above
171. Lili Anzueto Moguel (MEX)

FINA World Cup Pro Circuit Medalists

Due to the inaugural Olympic 10K Marathon Swim this year, the FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup series was shorter than usual. However, there were still races to be swum and prize money to be fought over.

In January, the circuit started out in Santos, Brazil, and then traversed the world to Dubai in March, Setubal, Portugal in June and Quebec, Canada in July. After the Beijing Olympic break, then circuit then started back up again in Shantou, China and just completed a race in Hong Kong.

With two more races on the 2008 circuit - in Singapore and Cancun, Mexico - both scheduled for October, here are the medal winners to date:

Santos, Brazil
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Evgeny Drattsev of Russia
3. Allan do Carmo of Brazil
Women
1. Larisa Ilchenko of Russia
2. Kirsten Groome of USA
3. Angela Maurer of Germany

Dubai
Men
1. Thomas Lurz of Germany
2. Daniil Serebrennikov of Russia
3. Valerio Cleri of Italy
Women
1. Poliana Okimoto of Brazil
2. Aurélie Muler of France
3. Martina Grimaldi of Italy

Setubal, Portugal
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Thomas Lurz of Germany
3. Yuri Kudinov of Russia
Women
1. Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil
2. Angela Maurer of Germany
3. Andreina Pinto of Venezuela

Quebec, Canada
Men
1. Mazen Mohamed Aziz of Egypt
2. Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria
3. Fran Crippen of USA
Women
1. Angela Maurer of Germany
2. Britta Kamrau-Corestein of Germany
3. Lucy Redgrove of Australia

Shantou, China
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Mazen Mohamed Aziz of Egypt
3. Allan do Carmo of Brazil
Women
1. Kristel Kobrich of Chile
2. Larisa Ilchenko of Russia
3. Angela Maurer of Germany

Hong Kong
Men
1. Valerio Cleri of Italy
2. Daniil Serebrennikov of Russia
3. Allan do Carmo of Brazil
Women
1. Larisa Ilchenko of Russia
2. Kristel Kobrich of Chile
3. Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil

The proposed 2009 expanded schedule is as follows:

January 25: Santos, Brazil (10K World Cup)
February 1: Santa Fe, Argentina (57K Grand Prix)
February 7: Rosario, Argentina (15K Grand Prix)
February 14: Viedma, Argentina (15K Grand Prix)
March 28: Orienta Bay, Wellington, New Zealand (10K World Cup)
April 18: Sumidero Canyon, Mexico (15K Grand Prix)
April 25: Cancun, Mexico (10K World Cup)
June 20: Capri-Napoli, Italy (36K Grand Prix)
June 27: Setubal, Portugal (10K World Cup)
July (TBD): Ohrid Lake, Macedonia (30K Grand Prix)
July 12: Sabac, Serbia (19K Grand Prix)
July 12: Long Beach,California (10K World Cup)
July 23: Lac St-Jean, Canada (10K World Cup)
July 25: Lac St-Jean, Canada (32K Grand Prix)
August 1: Lac Magog, Canada (34K Grand Prix)
August 8: Varna, Bulgaria (10K World Cup)
August 12: Lake Annecy, France (10K World Cup)
August 15: London, Great Britain (10K World Cup)
August 29: Copenhagen, Denmark (10K World Cup)
September 7: Manhatten, New York (10K World Cup)
September 26: Shantou, China (10K World Cup)
October 4: Hong Kong (10K World Cup)
October 11: Singapore (10K World Cup)
October 17: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (10K World Cup)
October 21: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (10K World Cup)
October 25: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (15K Grand Prix)

Upper photo of Thomas Lurz at the 2008 European Open Water Swimming Championships by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.

Lower photo by Dr. Jim Miller of the FINA Sumidero Canyon race in Mexico.

Open Water Swimming from the Sea and Sky

Some beautiful and illustrative open water photographs were taken by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia at the European Open Water Championships in Croatia this month.

The photo to the left shows the men going around a turn buoy in the 10K race eventually won by Thomas Lurz of Germany.





Using a helicopter over the venue, a skiff at sea level and scuba gear for underwater shots, Scala did a masterful wonderful job documenting the swimmers from all angles before, during and after the 5K solo trial races, the 5K team trial race, 10K races and the 25K races.

In the photos, especially the underwater shots, one can see the importance of drafting and positioning throughout the swim. As Olympic gold medalist Larisa Ilchenko said after her 10K victory, "...I was hit from right and left. I rarely took as many hits to my body as today. At the end I possibly benefitted from my experience."

17-year-old Alice Franco of Italy who won bronze medals in the 5K and 10K races said, "Of course it is better to follow other swimmers, but today I desperately wanted a second medal and that’s why I led the field for most of the time. Two medals in two races - that’s simply fantastic."

All photos by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.

Handing Over the Reins to the Next Generation

After a wonderful week of competition in Croatia, including new 5K time trials, the weather turned on the female 25K swimmers leading the LEN organizers to move the original 25K course in the Bay (see photo on left) to a more sheltered alternative 5K course in Dubrovacka Bay (see course below) on late Saturday evening.

But conditions were still rough.

Britta Kamrau-Corestein of Germany who finished strongly to capture silver in 5:39:00.2 said, "I wanted to give up after two laps because the water was so cold. When the leading group increased the pace at the last turn, I mentally said goodbye to the leaders and thought I missed it. I can’t believe that I did enough for winning silver. That’s a great conclusion of the European Championships for me."

Russia's Anna Uvarova who outsprinted Italy's Martina Grimaldi and the Netherlands' Edith van Dijk for bronze in 5:39:06.6 said, "The water was terribly cold and it was very windy. It was my tactics to swim four laps together with the leading group and then increase the pace. The tactics were right, because I’m not really a 25K swimmer, it’s simply too long for me."

van Dijk's customary position on the awards podium was taken by newcomer Margarita Dominguez of Spain who won in 5:38:35.3sec. "It was my first-ever 25K race. I prefer the circuit-type race course. When I saw the men’s 25K course, I really was a bit scared. At the last turn we were a group of three, Grimaldi, van Dijk and myself. I managed to accelerate about 800 meters from the finish line and kept my lead."

Grimaldi and van Dijk were timed together in 5:39:18.0. As a tribute to her outstanding performances, van Dijk, who was awarded the Best Swimmer of the Competition by LEN. van Dijk finished fourth for the third time in the European Open Water Swimming Championships. In the 5K race, the 10K race and today's 25K race, van Dijk finished fourth each time. A remarkable achievement for a remarkable athlete and mother.

Trademark Finish Seals Another Gold for Ilchenko

Just like the World Championships in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and the Beijing Olympics, Larisa Ilchenko of Russia came barreling down the finish to win another major international championship in an exciting finish.

19-year-old Ilchenko won the 10K at the European Open Water Championships in 2:00:30.9 in Croatia, just barely outgunning two Italians: Martina Grimaldi in 2:00:31.4 and Alice Franco in 2:00:32.2.

"After eight World titles and my Olympic gold medal in Beijing, I saw it as an obligation to win my first ever European title today," said Ilchenko who complained about the aggressive tactics of her competitors. "However, it was a horrible race because I was hit from right and left. I rarely took as many hits to my body as today. At the end I possibly benefitted from my experience."

Grimaldi similarly saw a silver lining, "For 9K, I was swimming in the middle of the leading pack. Towards the end I moved to the front, and after the last buoy I forced myself in between Ilchenko and Franco for the final sprint. I sprinted well to win the silver. I’m only half a second behind Ilchenko, so maybe next time I’ll beat her."

Alice Franco, who won the bronze in the 5K yesterday, won another bronze medal after leading most of the race. "Of course it is better to follow other swimmers, but today I desperately wanted a second medal and that’s why I led the field for most of the time. Two medals in two races - that’s simply fantastic."

Men's 5K time trial race is later today.

Upper photo shows Larisa Ilchenko after the 10K. Photo by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.

Lower photo shows Ilchenko (left), Grimaldi (middle) and Franco (right) leading the pack and battling towards the finish. Photo taken by Giorgio Scala of Deepbluemedia.