Acclimatization has never played such a role in Olympic athletics since the 1968 Summer Olympics were held in the high-altitude of Mexico City.

But Cecilia Biagioli of Argentina has had her work cut out for her. Training in warm temperatures in extremely warm-water pools (nearing 30°C), Biagioli swam well, finishing fifth in the 2011 World Swimming Championships in hot Shanghai to qualify for the Olympic marathon swim in London.

The four-time Olympian would be a strong dark horse for a medal in the 10 km, if it were not for the cooler British waters that are as foreign to her as Chinese language was for her in Shanghai.

But coached by her brother, she is doing all she can be get acclimated.

Like Ous Mellouli and Erika Villaécija García who will also double-up in the pool and open water, Biagioli will first test her mettle in the pool, doing the 800m freestyle on August 2nd.

She has one week between the 800m and the 10km so this should give her plenty of time to adjust to the open water discipline. She is entered with a 8:33 in the 800m, ranking her 22nd among the 38 Olympic distance freestylers while she is ranked fifth in the 10km.

Let’s see how she warms up to the cold.

Read the latest and most comprehensive coverage of the Olympic marathon swimming 10km here.

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