How Unusual – Gender Battles In The Open Water
Michael Phelps would never race against Stephanie Rice. Kosuke Kitajima would never race against Rebecca Soni. Aaron Piersol would never race against Natalie Coughlin. These Olympic pool swimming superstars line up, rightly so, against swimmers of their own gender.
Ice skaters, short track speed skaters and cyclists are the same – men vs. men and women vs. women – and the two genders never cross or compete.
But not in the open water.
At the 2011 World Swimming Championships, men and women will line up together as teammates and rivals. The new Team Time Trial event (a Team Pursuit race) will be held in Shanghai. Each team will comprise of 3 athletes, at least one of each gender. The teams start apart in one-minute increments over the 5K course and the official time is based on the finish of the third and final swimmer.
The winning team will undoubtedly be the trio of swimmers who can best position, pace and navigate well together as a team. Men and women together in the open water – what a great mix.
Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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