Richard Weinberger Predicting An “Epic” Olympic 10K Race In Rio de Janeiro

Aug 10, 2012; London, United Kingdom; Bronze medalist Richard Weinberger (CAN) waves to the crowd after receiving his medal in the men's open water 10km swim during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Hyde Park. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY Sports
Photo Courtesy: Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY

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By Jeff Commings, Swimming World senior writer

Richard Weinberger won a bronze medal in the 10K race at the 2012 Olympics, making him a celebrity in the open water swimming community. Despite that, the 25-year-old still feels a bit awestruck when he’s around other big names in the sport, as was the case this past summer at a training camp in Colorado Springs.

“With that big training group, it was new to me getting to know those guys,” Weinberger said. “Seeing all their talents, it was pretty amazing and I learned a lot. It brought back the love of the sport for me.”

The three weeks in Colorado swimming alongside 2012 10K champion Ous Mellouli and open water stars Alex Meyer and Chip Peterson helped Weinberger place eighth at the world championships and secure a spot on the starting dock for the 10K next year at the Olympics.

While he has full respect for the rivals he’ll be racing next summer and said they inspire him to train his hardest every day, the fierce competitor in Weinberger will take over once he dives in for two hours of intense racing.

“I’m stoked, and I’m ready to win,” Weinberger said. “I’m out for blood.”

Weinberger will know the 10K race course very well next August, having competed in the official test event earlier this month in Rio de Janeiro. He finished in third place behind Brazil’s Allan do Carmo and Yasunari Hirai of Japan.

Weinberger was excited to swim the course, which involved four 2.5-kilometer circuits. The course was a bit more complicated to navigate than a typical open water course, and it caused him to veer a bit off course for the bulk of the race. To make it more interesting, big swells navigation difficult.

“It feels like you’re not just doing loops,” he said of the tricky turns involved in the first 1000 meters of the race. “You’ve got to think, you’ve got to pace yourself properly. And with the swells, you’ve got to sight properly. It’s cold. It’s wavy. It’s epic.”

In the past year, the Rio waterways have come under fire for containing hazardous waste and other chemicals that would pose an extreme danger for those competing in various water-based sports at the Olympics. The Associated Press published the results of an independent report that claimed that human feces were in the water, which later prompted FINA to call on the Olympic organizers to test the water regularly. Weinberger said he wasn’t concerned about his health before, during or after the 10K race in Rio.

“A lot of the press around (water quality) has come from water testing in the lake, but no one will be swimming in the lake,” Weinberger said. “It’s where the rowers will compete. They’re doing a great job to clean up that venue (the Copacabana Bay open water swimming venue).”

He and the two other Canadians who raced in the test event – Samantha Harding and Xavier Desharnais – didn’t take any extra precautions, but had a staff from Swimming Canada there to attend to their needs.

“The water was quite clean,” Weinberger said. “I’ve never been sick after an open water race in the ocean, and I think the salt water has something to do with that. I was completely fine. I didn’t even get an upset stomach.”

Weinberger said he always drinks a can of soda after an open water race to kill any bacteria in any sea water he swallows, a practice he picked up years ago from longtime coach Ron Jacks.

“I don’t object to that,” Weinberger said. “I love drinking Coke.”

Now that he’s familiar with the course he’ll swim in next August in Rio, Weinberger said his resolve to win gold has kicked up a notch in training. He is fully aware that the other 24 athletes in the men’s race can’t be counted out to win gold.

“I respect these guys for setting a bar that I’m constantly chasing,” he said. “I’m better because they’re getting better. I’m just fighting to be the best next summer.”

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