World Championship Tidbits - Feeding Disadvantage

The open water swimming community has often heard of the heroics of Natalie du Toit, the remarkable amputee swimmer who placed fourth at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championship 10K race and finaled in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in Beijing.

However, hearing first-hand how she is at a disdvantage when feeding during a 10K race was heartbreaking.

"I can't take a drink at the feeding station because I get unbalanced," explained Natalie without a hint of complaint or excuse. "I don't have muscle in my left (upper) leg, so it is hard. I put gel packs in my swimsuit and take those."

Despite her physical disadvantage, the inner strength and commitment to the sport shown by this incredible woman is inspirational and moves many to tears. Even the Olympic 10K gold medalist Larisa Ilchenko once remarked that Natalie is the most remarkable athlete in the sport.

The REUTERS photo of the 10K race feeding station at the 2009 World Swimming Championships was taken by Alessandro Bianchi.

Note: Coaches place flags at the end of their feeding sticks in order to help their athletes quickly identify their location from the water as they swim towards them. FINA regulates the dimensions of the flags.

Feeding And Fueling In Open Water Swimming

At the joint USA Swimming and Swimming Canada's world championship trials in Ft. Myers, it was interesting to see how the elite athletes fueled and feed during the open water race.

Chloe Sutton is shown on left in her TYR swimsuit that has a special pouch for gel packs.

In the photo on left, the coaches lined up in a chest-high feeding section that was close to the navigational line preferred by the swimmers. Their focus on their athletes was admirable to observe.

In the 5K under much rougher conditions, some coaches were submerged by the waves, but they stood still to keep the cups above the water for their athletes.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association