Olympic journey continues for Australia’s open water warriors
Swimming Australia, July 27, 2015: The road to the Olympic Games was never meant to be easy and Australia’s open water swimmers Simon Huitenga and George O’Brien can both vouch for that first hand after a rough and tumble open water 10km ride in Kazan’s Kazanka River earlier today.
WA’s Huitenga and Queensland’s O’Brien both fought strongly as a field of 70 of the world’s finest open water swimmers lined up in the 10km FINA World Championship, which doubled up as the first Olympic qualifier for Rio.
A four-lap battle of swirling arms and legs – all trying to keep in touch at a rapid pace and position themselves for a final flurry over a frantic dash to the finish.
Huitenga stormed home to finish 15th after being 30th at one stage with world championship rookie O’Brien 28th.
They may not have triumphed just yet in their Olympic journeys’ but they sure did endure the struggle in what both boys admitted was the fastest, and at times the toughest, race of their swimming careers on a day that saw the American Jordan Wilimovsky steal the race ahead of the fast-finishing Dutchman Ferry Weertman with two-time and defending champion Spyridon Gianniotis taking the bronze.
“That was a fast race,” said Huitenga “I left it a little bit late to go; I had a pretty comfortable first lap but everyone pressed forward in the second lap and I got left behind a little bit; there were 30 guys between me and the leader in 15 metres of water and the next lap I knew I had to get up there.
“At that same time the American (Wilimovsky) who ended up winning the race hammered and stretched the lead (and that made it even tougher).
“But 15th, although disappointed at not going top 10, I’ve got to be happy with that.
“There was a massive carrot at the end of that race and everyone wanted it.
“But being first Aussie gets me another crack at the next (Olympic qualifying) race in Portugal (May 2016) and I’ve got to see the light at the end of that tunnel.
“It’s humbling; I know I’m there; I’ve just got to do a bit more work.
“It’s back to the drawing board; back to training and with it I’ll take more experience.
“I’m getting better with each race and you have to take away those little pointers from each race; bag a few and write them down.”
Huitenga, who is one of Australia’s best surf swimmers with the City of Perth SLSC in WA admitted swimming in a pack of 30 swimmers was “kind of fun” and something he grew up with.
“But if you snooze and someone smacks you in the back of the head you wake up pretty damn quick; it makes you realise you have to look around and know where you are and use those surf skills you learnt when you were a nipper,” said Huitenga.
“Making sure you are not too far back and sticking to your race plan.
“I’ll take a week off, recharge and get back into it. I’ve got 10 months to be ready again. Olympic journeys are never meant to be easy are they?”
O’Brien, competing at his first world championships admitted he knew it would be hard and it was.
“It was really hard; I am swimming as fast as I’ve ever swum; I’m as fit as anything. I knew it would be tough but experience is a major factor,” said O’Brien, Kurrawa SLSC’s Australian open surf race champion.
“Races like that gives you the test and then the lesson but the (Olympic) journey is not over yet.”
O’Brien will have to swim at the 2015 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series in Perth in February to trial for the second spot alongside London Olympian Jarrod Poort for the right for one of them to join Huitenga in the Portugal Olympic qualifier in May.
Swimming Australia’s National Open water Head Coach Ron McKeon said the boys would have been disappointed.
“It was just a very, very fast pace; they held that pace for the first three laps but it comes down to being in that top 15 all the way around in that position and then you’ve got to go again.
“When they are hitting 1:02 (100m) pace for a 2.5km course it is certainly a hot lap.
“Simon relishes swimming in a pack and he really uses the strength of the pack and that goes with the experience but he does that brilliantly.
“As far as George is concerned he is still pretty young in the sport.
“Racing at this level and at that pace is something he has to learn and understand.
“He couldn’t find that other gear today but that’s not to say that it’s not going to happen either. He’s still got another opportunity to come through.”
If it is any consolation, Tunisia's 2012 London Olympic 10km champion and 2008 gold medallist in the 1500m, Oussama Mellouli finished 23rd. He too will be in Portugal hoping to keep his 2016 Olympic dream alive.
Australia’s 10km girls Kareena Lee and Chelsea Gubecka will line up in tomorrow’s women’s World Championship with their eyes also on automatic Rio selection.
2015 FINA World Championships, Kazan, Russia, 10km Men, FINAL:
Jordan Wilimovsky (USA) 1:49.48.2 Ferry Weertman (NED) 1:50.00.3 Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE) 1:50.00.7 Sean Ryan (USA) 1:50.03.3 Jack Burnell (GBR) 1:50.05.8 Marc-Antonie Olivier (FRA) 1:50.06.4 Simone Ruffini (ITA) 1:50.09.1 Richard Weinberger (CAN) 1:50.19.9 Allan Do Carmo (BRA) 1:50.23.1 Federico Vanelli (ITA) 1:50.23.1 Simon Huitenga (AUS) 1:50.41.3 15th George O’Brien (AUS) 1:51.19.6 28th
Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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