Industry News: Olympic Medalists, World Champions To Compete in Ninth Annual RCP Tiburon Mile

TIBURON, California, MORE than 800 swimmers from around the world will descend upon the San Francisco Bay at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5 to compete in the ninth annual RCP Tiburon Mile Open Water Swim, the most competitive open water event in the history of the sport.

Olympic medalists and world champions from 20 different countries will swim the one-mile course from Ayala Cove on the shores of Angel Island to the docks of Sam's Anchor Cafe in downtown Tiburon.

This year, for the first time, the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing will feature open water swimming as an official Olympic sport. Where can you find a local athletic event in open water swimming that is more competitive than the Olympics? The ninth annual RCP Tiburon Mile Open Water Swim is!

This unique swim will integrate Elite and Pool swimmers of all ages coming together to compete as they are cheered on by more than 3,000 spectators along the Marin County shoreline.

Founded in 1999 by Robert C. Placak, the RCP Tiburon Mile regularly attracts swimmers between the ages of 13 and 80 in a competition for $30,000 in cash ($10,000 to each 1st place male & female), Open Water's largest paycheck and prizes, while raising money for Hospice By The Bay and Special Olympics. To date, this event has raised more than $650,000 local charities.

Confirmed elite swimmers (schedules permitting) for this year's Tiburon Mile include:
• Evgeni Bezruchenko, Russian-born 2001 gold medalist at the World Championships in the 10K Open Water Swim and member of the 2007 Maui Channel Open Water Swim winning team
• Nicholas Caldwell, 15 year old holder of the national age group record for 11-12 age boys in the 1500m freestyle and 400m IM and youngest male qualifier at 2008 Olympic Trials
• Lauren Costello, All American Swimmer at Stanford, bronze medal winner in the 2003 U.S. World University Games in the 1500m freestyle and 2nd place in 2000 RCP Tiburon Mile
• Vladimir Dyatchin, from Russia, placed first in the RCP Tiburon Mile in 2006 and 2007, current World Champion in the 10K and will be swimming in the 2008 Olympic 10K
• Sergiy Fesenko, from the Ukraine, three-time World Cup medalist, 2004 Olympic team member and son of 1980 Olympic Medalist Sergey Fesenko, Sr.
• John Flanagan, 2001 winner World Open Water Champion and member of the 2006 & 2007 champion Maui Channel Open Water Swim team
• Klete Keller, anchor leg of USA gold medal-winning 800m relay team in 2004 Olympics and member of the 2008 Olympic Team
• Thomas Lurz, from Germany, placed 2nd in 2006 RCP Tiburon Mile after a photo finish with Vladimir Dyatchin, won the 2005 and 2006 World Open Water Swimmer of the Year and will compete in the 2008 Olympic 10K
• Ous Mellouli, from Tunisia, NCAA Champion, 2007 World Champion 800m Free and 2008 Olympic team
• Erica Rose, member of six World Championship teams, on the US National Team for the past eleven years, holds nine national titles and voted USA Open Water Swimmer of the Year four times
• Noa Sakamoto, Stanford graduate, qualifier for the 2004 Olympic Trials in the 200m and 400m freestyle, 2007 Waikiki Roughwater Champion and member of the 2006 & 2007 champion Maui Channel Open Water Swim team
• Julia Smit, Stanford University swimmer who won four gold medals and one silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in July and member 2008 Olympic Team
• Chloe Sutton, 16-year-old winner of the Tiburon Mile 2006, 2007, recent two-time National Champion in the 10K Open Water Swim, 10K gold medalist in the 2007 Pan American Games
and 2008 Olympic Team member, placing 3rd in the Olympic Trials 800 Free
• Erik Vendt, 2000 and 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the 400m IM, American record-holder in the 1500m freestyle (short course) and holder of six U.S. National titles and member of 2008 Olympic Team
• Members of the Stanford and Cal Berkeley teams

Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist John Naber, Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines, Dara Torres, 41 yr old, five-time Olympian and/or Natalie Coughlin (schedule permitting) are also scheduled to provide live race commentary from the Tiburon Mile to be broadcast on FSN Bay Area in November.

Registration and information about the Tiburon Mile can be found on www.rcptiburonmile.com.

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