Australia Looking To Return To Open Water Medal Podium At Worlds

Photo Courtesy: Simon Watts/Open Water Source

Australia left the 2013 world championships without a medal in any of the seven open water races in Barcelona, the first time the country had been without an open water world medal since 2003. The Aussies will be sending a team of eight swimmers to race in the Kazanka River this July in Kazan, Russia, with the goal of returning to the medal podium.

Not only are medals on the line, but a spot in the 10K swim at the Rio Olympics. The top 10 finishers in each of the women’s and men’s 10K in Kazan will automatically earn a spot for the Rio race. Melissa Gorman is the headline star of the women’s team, but she only qualified to swim the 5K race in Russia (with Jessica Walker), so she will be watching the 10K swim intently to see how Australia places. If the country does not get a top-10 finish, Australia could still earn a spot in the Olympics at a second qualifying race in Portugal.

Chelsea Gubecka and Kareena Lee will represent Australia in the women’s 10K at worlds. For Gubecka, it will be her second world championship appearance, while Lee will make her worlds debut.

On the men’s side, Simon Huitenga and George O’Brien will represent Australia in the worlds 10K race, with Jarrod Poort and Sam Sheppard swimming the 5K race.
“I was very pleased with the results out of the FINA World Cup in Mexico,” said open water national head coach Ron McKeon. “We had two swimmers inside the top ten in a tough field and I’m looking forward to now seeing what results they can produce in Russia.
“The team is well into their preparation and although it will be a tough block of work, we are taking a strong open water team and I believe every one of them is capable of achieving outstanding results in Kazan come July.”

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