SWIM THE WORLD BRAZIL DOWN TO RIO
Brazil goes crazy for open water swimming several times a year, when its King and Queen of the Sea swims are televised across the country. But what’s so great about them? Jonathan Knot fi nds out
There can be few more dramatic locations for a swim than off the world-famous beaches of Rio de Janeiro, as
Brazilian marathon swimmer Luiz Lima knows all too well. On 14 December 2008 he set out alone along the coast on a gruelling 36km swim from Leme Beach, under the shadow of the 130ſt statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). Nine hours later, as he dragged himself onto Pontal Beach in the west of the city and emerged exhausted from the waves, he may well have felt that he had earned the title he was given: Rei do Mar (King of the Sea). His achievement was impressive, but for Pedro Rego Monteiro –
executive director of Eff ect Sport, the company that had organised support boats for Lima's swim – it was just the start. The next year, Monteiro and his colleague, Virgilio de Castilho, arranged an open water event at the best-known of Rio’s beaches – the Copacabana – and invited nine professional athletes to challenge Lima for his accolade in a 10km swim. They also organised a race for 1,500 amateurs which took place the day before. Two years aſt er its fi rst successful incarnation, this competition – christened Rei e Rainha do Mar (‘King and Queen of the Sea’) – is a high-profi le competition with an array of diff erent events. As well as the Pro Challenge races (where ten professional men race to be crowned king and ten women to be queen), there are three amateur races throughout the year, where 1km, 2km and 3km distances are contested alongside a beach biathlon. At the next one, taking place this December, a whopping 7,000 amateurs are expected to pay the R$70 (£26.30) entry fee.
NEED TO KNOW
○ Where: Rio de Janiero, Brazil ○ What: Pro and amateur races with $50,000 grand prize ○ When: Each December for pros, thrice-yearly for amateurs ○ Who: Designed to appeal to all ages, abilities and nationalities, the races are open to all ○ How: See
reierainhadomar.com.br for details.
The event’s spectacular location and crowded waves are a giſt
for TV production companies. It’s televised by Brazilian channel TV Globo’s popular programme Esporte Espectacular, reaching 15 million viewers – and the race format was devised specifi cally with TV in mind, says Monteiro: “It was inspired by Formula 1, which has a huge audience in Brazil. Unlike normal open water events, our event consists of laps of a smaller circuit. Before the pro race, there is also a qualifying sprint, where the athletes swim a lap to determine their position on the starting grid.” The lap format – used both for the pro and the 2km amateur races – means the competitors are closer to the beach and consequently to the spectators. Last year, the pros raced for 10 laps of 1km each with a 50m land sprint in between each one and to fi nish, but this time the course has been shortened: they will complete fi ve 800m laps, so the race can be fi nished within 50 minutes and the entire event televised.
Many swimmers say that the short sprint along the sand is the most challenging part – and it’s this that can lead to moments of high excitement. In the Pro Challenge last year, a diff erent swimmer was leading on each lap and there was a very close fi nale: “Swimmers were literally throwing themselves over the fi nish line,” says Monteiro. A mixture of Brazilian and international swimmers compete in the Pro Challenge. As well as Luiz Lima, past competitors have included the South African Chad Ho, and the Australian brothers Codie and Trent Grimsey. The lat er, who won the title
44
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76