FINA 10K World Cup Set To Start This Weekend

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, January 23. SANTOS, Brazil is the setting for the first race of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup 2009 and it promises to be a good one. The competition, which offers USD 20,000 in prize money, takes place Saturday, January 24. Preliminary swimmers lists for the event include a considerable number of the world's best open water swimmers, many of whom competed in the inaugural Olympic 10km in Beijing.

Competitors in the men's field must contend with Olympic silver medallist David Davies (GBR), defending OWS Grand Prix 2008 champion Petar Stoychev (BUL), defending 2008 10km World Cup champion Valerio Cleri (ITA), and other Olympians including Luis Escobar (MEX), Arseniy Lavrentyev (POR), Allan do Carmo (BRA). Rising stars Daniel Fogg (GBR) and Loïc Branda (FRA) will pose additional opposition.

Among women, Olympic bronze medallist Cassandra Patten (GBR) headlines an equally impressive field including 2008 10km World Cup defending champion Angela Maurer (GER). Both will face fellow Olympians like home heroes Ana Marcela Cunha and Poliana Okimoto (BRA), Kristel Kobrich (CHI), Martina Grimaldi (ITA) and Daniela Inacio (POR). Not to be underestimated are Alice Franco and Rachele Bruni (ITA), also racing in Santos.

Full FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup 2009 calendar:
1. January 24, 2009 in Santos (BRA)
2. June 27, 2009 in Setubal (POR)
3. July 23, 2009 in Lac St. Jean (CAN)
4. August 8, 2009 in Varna (BUL)
5. August 12, 2009 on Lake Annecy (FRA)
6. August 15, 2009 in London (GBR)
7. August 29, 2009 in Copenhagen (DEN)
8. September 7, 2009 in Manhattan, NYC (USA)
9. September 12, 2009 in Cancun (MEX)
10. September 20, 2009 in An Chun (CHN)
11. September 26, 2009 in Shantou (CHN)
12. October 4, 2009 in Hong Kong (HKG)
13. October 17, 2009 in Dubai (UAE)
14. October 21, 2009 in Sharjah (UAE)

Special thanks to FINA for contributing this report.

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