Bryan first encountered open water swimming through surf
lifesaving. He grew up by the sea and was influenced by Ireland’s strong tradition of outdoor swimming. But the experience of Ashley Twichell, a 22-year old US swimmer,
shows that it’s possible for talented swimmers to turn to open water relatively late in life. Twichell has always enjoyed ocean swimming, but didn’t compete in an open water race until 2010, at the US national championships. Her first 10km event was far from successful, because she was unaccustomed to the colder water and didn’t feed at all during the swim. “I don’t remember the last 2.5km,” she says. “My parents and coaches encouraged me not to do the 5km two days later, but I knew that if I didn't get right back in and do it then that would be the end of open water forever for me.” Twichell now relishes the challenges of open water. “I love how the athletes must be able to face and adapt to any obstacle that comes their way,’ she says. “You may miss a feed, your goggles or cap may be ripped off, and you may veer off course.” She came third in the women’s 5km in Shanghai last year, and in Portugal this year hopes to take the one available US women’s Olympic 10km place. Her experience chimes with the views of US open water coach and writer Steven Munatones. “The best pool distance swimmers in the world cannot make the transition to the open water unless they really want to do so themselves,” he says. Other swimmers Munatones expects to be competing for 10km medals at Rio 2016 are the New Zealanders Cara Baker and Kane Radford, Australian Danielle de Francesco, and Bethany Robertson, an Australian-born swimmer who recently expressed an interest in swimming for Cambodia. He also name-checks France’s Ophelie Aspord, the Russian Sergey Bolshakov, Yasunari Hirai of Japan, and the US swimmers Sean Ryan and Eva Fabian. Of this group, Robertson is the youngest, at 16. Munatones also thinks it’s crucial for young swimmers to continue to clock up fast times in the pool, even if their main focus is open water. “They don't have to focus on the pool but their competitive juices are maintained by competing in the pool,” he says. Australian swimmer George O’Brien, 20, who set a record at the Waikiki Roughwater swim last year, has enjoyed the benefits of this approach; he swims both 1,500m and 10km, and says he finds open water “a refreshing change from the pool”. “I think the win was mainly due to the speed work I had been
doing,” says O’Brien of his Hawaii victory. “In the past I’ve struggled to keep up with a change of pace but focusing on the shorter pool events ensured I had the speed to stay in touch with the leaders.’ However swimmers reach the top, the training required inevitably limits the time they can devote to academic work and socialising.
Eva Fabian won the 5km at the 2010 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships but in the 10km event was disqualified for failing to properly negotiate a buoy
I LOVE HOW THE ATHLETES MUST BE ABLE TO FACE AND ADAPTTO ANY OBSTACLE THAT COMES THEIR WAYASHLEY TWICHELL
“There are huge sacrifices,” admits Bryan. “But I’m happy to make them to achieve my goals. I’m well aware of what I’m doing.” The positive side to this pressure is that it forces swimmers to
develop excellent time management skills. Twichell, who studied at Duke University, says that swimming “has allowed me to be more disciplined in my academic life”. Eva Fabian, her 18-year old team- mate, even finds time to play the violin, and performed the national anthem at the opening of the Pan-Pacific games. “I find it very fun and relaxing,” she says of her music. One thing young swimmers can be thankful for is the strength of the open water swimming community. Alex Panayides is a UK-based swimmer who won four of the five British Gas Great Swims in the amateur category last year, and has recently started swimming for Cyprus. “It’s much more of a family atmosphere,” says Panayides, when comparing the situation to that of pool swimming. At a recent swim in Cyprus she found Marianna Lymperta (a Greek swimmer who finished third in Shanghai) incredibly supportive. “She was always happy to help me and gave me really amazing tips,” says Panayides. But Bryan says that the support can sometimes be fairly robust. “I
Ashley Twichell, 22, from the US, won a 5km
team event gold medal at the 2011 FINA World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, China
went to one swim near my home for practice when it was freezing cold and there were millions of jellyfish. I’d always had a mental block about the sea, but all the old men there were saying, ‘Oh, look at you, man – the pool swimmer’. There was no way I wasn’t going to get in.” He is now glad to have developed his toughness, which helps him enjoy his “crazy” training routine. “Who wants to be normal?” Bryan says. Such characters thrive in a sport whose hallmark is unpredictability, and where the best-laid plans can be rendered obsolete by conditions or events. “Aſterwards it’s important to figure out what went well and what didn’t go well,” says Bryan, “but during the race it’s more about instinct.” So what about London 2012? Does Bryan see any young swimmers landing a medal? “In the open water anything can happen,” he says. “That might be a daunting thought for young swimmers, but it’s also one from which they can draw hope.” ○
31
Photo © Gety Images
Photo © Gety Images
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