I have actually never seen a world class open water race but from what I have read, they often end in a field sprint like a bike race. The pace goes way up over the last 1000 meters and the margin of victory is in the 10ths of a second.

The proximity of the swimmers... You notice the second swimmer there closest to us... She is literally reaching betwee the ankles of thw swimmer in front of her.

And around another one of those beautiful swim bouys there.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I wonder how the strategy plays out. Must be like other distance events, in which case are the strongest racers a few places back? Or is it more like the Tour where everyone is expected to take their turn in the lead?

NBC.com reporting 23 countries represented in the swim with only 2 countires, Brazil and the U.K., having two swimmers in the water at Beijing.

Brazil and U.K., those seem like naturals for open water swimming... The U.K. with its adventurous tradition of channel swimmers and of Brazil, with its passionate love of the ocean.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Well, Alibabwa, NBC's commentators are prognosticating about a sprint finish here and wondering if the Russian, Ilchenko, who apparently is nursing a sore shoulder, will be able to fair well should it come down to a sprint.

We're at 51:00.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Two draft lines once again and the whole thing seems very orderly...

One has to imagine they simply will not swim to the line this way. There has got to be a scrum of some kind near the end...

Now, I beleive, the swimmers must swim to a platform and touch for the finish, not unlike a pool event.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

And into what may be the final aid station here....

The leaders simply going straight on through....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Sounds a lot like a bike race then - stay with the pack, conserve as much energy as you can then go like stink at the end.

thanks for the commentary, CBC online doesn't have that option so the insight helps.

So we're just over an hour into the race and based on a 2hr finish, they've already swam about 5K. Amazing. At this point, I'd be at maybe 2.5K. Hahaha. I suck.

A little better job of body marking than we are used to in triathlons... you can actually read the numbers on the athlete's bodies.

The two brits, Paine and Patton, up there in the lead with Ilchenko bidding her time.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I think there are touch pads suspended just over the water they have to hit.

I don't understand the two Brits up front pulling all the way. I'd want to rotate out and make some of the others do some work.

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

I seem to recall that STP.

The water looks so nice... I wish I could go for a swim now!

These games have been so inspiring... Especially the aquatic sports first with Phelps, then with the beautiful setting for the Women's and Men's triathlon at the Ming Tomb Reservoir, and now with this unique event, the 10K oepn water swim.

Such a treat!

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I just thought the same parkito.... They seem to be doing the Russian quite a service.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

The Russian, Ilchenko, tipped as favorite, sits 2nd row, right hand side... Generous draft from the Bristish lasses.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

The finish should be very tight with maybe a little separation between a few but 5 or more spots could be within seconds of each other.

I that second row there, one swimmer lodged in the middle... and another aid station.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

My hunch is they are not going all that hard right now so the benefit of not having someones feet in your face beats out the benefit of drafting. I find it a bit tiring to have to constantly be making adjustments to miss someones legs. They still have an hour to go so there is plenty of time for someone else to pull.

I think this part of the race is like the middle of a stage where you see the riders up on the hoods laughing and chatting . . .

I don't get it either. That's why I don't buy the 20% energy saving, according to the commentary. More like a couple digits.

There is a benefit to swimming in clear water... without feet in your face I suppose, especially for these powerful swimmers.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

If the pace increases they will certainly finish under 2 hours.

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Don't hold back

Well, we always hear the commnetators in cycling say it is a 30% advantage on a bike, I've always thought more like 15%....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Here is a screen shot of the feed zone.

That is very cool. I've also been looking at these little boats... skiffs, or platform boats. Those would be ideal for marshalling a triathlon swim.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I thnk that it is easier mentally to follow the lead of other fast swimmers. Let them create the pace. # 8 looks like she is struggling to me.