In a generalization of elite open water racing, it appears to us that the women swim like they have nothing to lose while the men swim like they have everything to lose.

In an analysis of the split times of elite 10K competitions, the women tend to evenly split their races. That is, there is not much different between their first loop, their last loop and their fastest loop in a 10K course. On the other hand, the men generally take it out slowly and then gradually get faster until their last loop is blazing fast.

There are few athletes who show the guts of just plain going for it as 2010 world 5K champion Eva Fabian (shown above with her goggles taped to her cap), a dynamo from New Hampshire who trains indoors for much of the year, but with specialized training that allows her to rise to the top of the open water world.

Watch Eva and the rest of the female world champions and elite racers live online at SwimNetwork starting at 9:10 am on Sunday, August 22nd – or watch them live for free at Marine Stadium in Long Beach, California.

Photo by Dr. Jim Miller.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones