Prior to the RCP Tiburon Mile from Angel Island to the mainland city of Tiburon in San Francisco Bay, 2008 Olympic silver medalist Keri-Anne Payne of Great Britain had a few words to say about the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 10 km marathon swimming venue on Copacabana Beach
And her lasting impression was nothing but positive.
“I loved [the Olympics] and I didn’t have one bad thing to say about Rio. My race was in Copacabana and I could have not had a better race venue.”
From what we have read and discussed with the athletes in Rio, their first-hand experience in Copacabana Beach and the dire predictions and assumptions by the American media were as different as a gold medal and a disqualification.
The San Francisco Bay television interview with Payne is posted here.
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.