Like the women’s running marathon, the 10km swimming marathon promised a wonderful mixture of great determination and great performance. The event was making its Olympic debut in Beijing. Ones to watch were the hot favourite, nineteen year old Russian Larisa Ilchenko, who since 2004 has won five straight 5km races and three straight 10km. Britain’s Cassandra Patten and Germany’s Angela Maurer were also tipped for success.

The most prominent athlete in preview though was South Africa’s Natalie Du Toit. A promising teenage swimmer, she lost her leg from the knee down in a terrible road accident seven years ago. A determined character she was back in the pool three months later, before she could walk properly. She has competed in international competition since 2001, both disabled and able-bodied.

At this year’s world championship in Seville she finished a remarkable fourth to qualify for the games. At the opening ceremony she carried South Africa’s flag. She’s able to compete so well in the 10km swimming marathon because leg power isn’t crucial in the event. The legs are used more for balance and direction. The event in Beijing was interesting because it was swam in fresh water conditions, rather than open sea water. This meant there was less buoyancy but the water was considerably warmer than sea water. Still, it looked like an experience millions of miles away from Phelps’ glamorous 200m/400m ‘sprints’. Here’s a few tips on how to deal with traditional open-water swims.

Swimmers - learn how to develop power outside the pool

Training for open-water swimming performance should focus on two key areas: physiological performance and open-water experience and habituation. Training is dependent upon the race distance, but the underlying determinants are primarily endurance based.

A significant factor in open-water swimming is ‘experience and habituation’ (this term is preferred over ‘acclimatisation’ as very little acclimatisation takes place in response to cold-water exposure) to open water. Most open-water swimming events are in cold (<18°C) water resulting in significant cold-induced stress.

The human body needs to control its core body temperature within narrow limits to maintain normal function and survival. Maintaining core temperature is achieved through a balance of heat production (a by-product of energy production) and heat loss. Water is 25-times more conductive than air leading to a 4-fold increase in heat loss for anybody immersed in it. In open cold water, heat production becomes essential in maintaining normal function.

At rest the energy expenditure (and therefore heat output) of the human body is about 100 watts rising 15-fold to 1,500 watts during exercise. Thus, a high-energy turnover and power output (speed) must be maintained to sustain core temperature.

Habituation (experience) is fundamental for the successful open-water swimmer. In addition to coping with the physiological impact of the cold and sometimes saline environment, the ability to navigate, control and maintain pace while coping with the prolonged isolation of dark, deep water with the fear of wildlife below (Beijing has tangling weeds apparently!) makes open-water swimming a significant physiological and psychological challenge.

Bravery held the key in this morning‘s event, especially with everyone crashing into each other, including Ilchenko smashing into Patten and pulling her feet! After two hours of endurance swimming the finish was spectacular. The two British girls Patten and Payne held the lead for a long time but undefeated Ilchenko stuck to her game plan and made a late push to overtake them. Her endurance levels must be spectacular. The Brits, who had swum in the pool a few days earlier, took silver (Payne) and bronze (Patten). Du Toit finished.

The difference in time between first and fourth was 4.2seconds. For 10km! Put this into context and consider that the difference between first and fourth in Phelps’ 400m medley final was 8.32seconds! What a fantastic Olympic debut for the race. Unless you’re getting married tomorrow morning, make sure you watch the men’s event.

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