(ATR) Germany became FINA’s 5 km team open water swim world champions July 30 at Kazan 2015, as the sport begins to turn its eyes toward Rio 2016 and problems in the next Olympic host city.
Christian Reichert, Rob Muffels and Isabelle Franziska Harle raced to a 55:14.4 time in the Kazanka River. Brazil and Netherlands shared silver at 55:31.2. Italy (55:49.4) edged out the United States (55:50.6) for fourth place out of 22 teams.
A report by Associated Press said tests it commissioned concluded that Rio 2016 open water swimmers could be at major risk of contracting viruses. Organizers’ promises to clean-up polluted Copacabana Beach water are unlikely to be fulfilled in time for the Games. Several 5 km open water swimmers at Kazan 2015 did not express concern.
"I’ve swam that venue a few times in Rio, and I’ve seemed perfectly fine with it," South Africa’s Chad Ho, the Kazan 2015 men’s 5km gold medallist, told reporters. "I haven’t had any issues."
Ho said it is unlikely he would make any special preparations for Rio, based on the water quality.
Greek swimmer Spyridon Gianniotis, the Kazan 2015 10km bronze medalist, declined to comment.
"I think the Brazilians will do a really good job," he said.
Sean Ryan of the United States, who finished fourth in the 10km race won by fellow American Jordan Wilimovsky, said he is placing faith in others to ensure his team is ready.
"It’s the Olympic Games we’re preparing for, we’re going to prepare for everything," Ryan said. "Both of us are excited to be in the Olympics. We trust the USOC and USA swimming that they’re going to keep our health as a priority."
Around The Rings awaits official comment from FINA about the AP investigation.
USA leads the open water competition in Kazan with two gold medals, while Netherlands has three silvers.
One more competition day remains in open water swimming. The men’s and women’s 25 km races go Aug. 1.
Written by Bob Mackinin Kazan
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
Recent Articles
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
