The United States\u2019 top open-water swimmers will take the first step toward securing a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team at this week\u2019s USA Swimming Open Water National Championships at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club in Miromar Lakes, Florida.<\/p>\n
The 10-kilometer national championships will be contested Friday with the women\u2019s race slated for 8 a.m. EDT, followed by the men at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the 5K events open with the men at 8 a.m., followed by the women at 9:30 a.m. A live webcast of each race will be available online via usaswimming.org.<\/p>\n
The top two men\u2019s and women\u2019s finishers in Friday\u2019s 10K earn a spot in the field for the July 27-28 10K races at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia. At this summer\u2019s World Championships, the top 10 individuals per gender in the 10K will qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n
Olympians Haley Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif.), Alex Meyer (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Andrew Gemmell (Wilmington, Del.) are expected to headline the field, as are fellow 2014 Pan Pacific Championships team members Eva Fabian (Keene, N.H.), Christine Jennings (Longmont, Colo.), Becca Mann (Homer Glen. Ill.), Sean Ryan (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Jordan Wilimovsky (Malibu, Calif.).<\/p>\n
Other open-water standouts to watch include World Championships medalists Chip Peterson (Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.) and Ashley Twichell (Fayetteville, N.Y.), as well as Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky.), who became the first American to win FINA\u2019s 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup series title in 2013.<\/p>\n
Recent NCAA champion Leah Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.), a member of last year\u2019s Pan Pacs roster in the pool competition, is expected to compete, as is Stephanie Peacock (Cape Coral, Fla.), who was victorious as last month\u2019s Crippen Cup 10K on the same course.<\/p>\n
In total, there are more than 150 entries slated for the two-day event, including 16 National Team members. Full start lists can be found online at usaswimming.org.<\/p>\n
The Open Water National Championships will be held in conjunction with the 2015 Open Water Festival, which features a series of clinics and races, including a National Age Group Invitational being hosted by Gulf Coast Swim Club.<\/p>\n
Castaic Lake, California, hosted 2014 Open Water Nationals, with Mann and Gemmell taking the 10K national titles, and Anderson and Meyer earning the 5K victories.<\/p>\n
Featuring the nation\u2019s top open-water swimmers, 2015 Open Water Nationals will serve as the selection meet for the following teams and international competitions:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 FINA World Championships Open Water Team<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Pan American Games Open Water Team<\/p>\n
\u00b7 World University Games Open Water Team<\/p>\n
\u00b7 USA Swimming Open Water National Team<\/p>\n
\u00b7 USA Swimming Open Water National Junior Team<\/p>\n