GORMAN LOOKS TO POOL HER TALENTS AFTER OPEN SLATHER

Rome, July 22: Australia's latest world champion Melissa Gorman will turn her attentions to next week's 800 and 1500m events in the pool after completing "the toughest race of her life" on the second day of the open water events at the 13^th FINA World Championships in Rome. IAN HANSON reports from Ostia Beach...

Struggling to recover from the rigours of her 5km win on day one, Gorman, faded to finish 29^th, with Gold Coast rookie Danielle Defrancesco 36^th in a rough and tumble 10km event.

Gorman, who admitted she kept waking up and applying liniment to her shoulders the night before, had moved through the field to be sitting as high up as third after six kilometres.

But when she tried to hang on to the leaders, Gorman found it increasingly difficult to find the spark that rocketed her to victory in her first major international 5km event - becoming Australia's sixth world open water swimming champion since Shelley Taylor-Smith's inaugural win in 1991.

"That was the longest 10km of my life," said Gorman, "I tried as hard as I could but just couldn't get out of the pack - I just kept getting belted.

"I tried to do everything I possibly could to get myself prepared after yesterday but in the end it was just too hard. There were people everywhere just going for it."

Defrancesco received a rude awakening in her first major international event.

"It was the toughest thing I've ever done in my life and the coaches told me it was something I just had to experience for myself and that I would be better prepared next time," said Defrancesco, who has been targeted, along with Gorman for the 2012 London Olympics.

Defrancesco was found wanting in the back end of the race after missing the first feeding station and not taking a gel on board for an emergency.

"They are the kind of things you can only tell these guys - they have to experience it themselves," said National head coach Greg Towle.

"But I'm proud of the way they stuck at it and the way Mel backed up - they'll be better for the experience," said Towle.

Perfect conditions again greeted the competitors for the second day of open water swimming competition with a light off-shore breeze cooling the 30 degree temperatures.

Britain's Olympic silver medallist Keri-Anne Payne, who chose not to swim yesterday's 5km event, controlled the race from the outset, looking comfortable through the entire journey  - running out the eventual winner in 2 hours 01.37.1.

But she had to produce a sprint finish to hold off  silver medallist, Russian Ekatarina Seliverstova (2:01.38.0) with Italy's Martina Grimaldi taking the bronze in 2:01.38.6.

Payne led the field through the first 2.5km lap which saw the competitors jostle for positions at the first feeding station.

Gorman sat in tenth position with debutant DeFrancesco fighting for survival in the middle of the pack.

It was a tough initiation for Defrancesco, the Miami student, who started her foray into open water swimming at this year's Junior Pan Pacs in Guam with a 10km silver medal.

Towards the 5km mark the two Australian girls were content to float along in the pack, almost side by side.

But Gorman was swift to make her move through the half-way mark, electing not to feed with National Open water Head Coach Greg Towle commenting: "Mel looked comfortable and ready to hold her position."

But at around the six kilometre mark Gorman received a yellow flag - raised by officials for alleged interference, something Gorman shrugged her shoulders at with half the field battling through the whitewash.

In a dramatic end to Olympic champion Larisa Ilchenko's race, the eight-time world champion was forced out of the race after 65 minutes - transported back to the beach on the back of a jet rescue ski.

The Russian legend then limped from the water and into the arms of Russian officials, who whisked her off to the medical tent.

Ilchenko said in yesterday's press conference she had been troubled with a leg injury.

Meanwhile Gorman will join the pool team tonight and start her preparation for the 1500m freestyle heats on Monday morning.

"I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep, a few days rest and a good rub," said Gorman, disappointed at her 10km result but still with the smile of a world champion.

 

10k
1 Kerianne Payne	GBR	2:01:37.1
2 Ekatarina Seliverstova	RUS	2:01:38.0
3 Martina Grimaldi	ITA	2:01:38.6
4 Andreina Pinto Perez	VEN	2:01:40.8
5 Angela Maurer	GER	2:01:40.9
6 Linsy Heister	NED	2:01:41.0
7 Poliana Okimoto	BRA	2:01:41.5
8 Margarita Dominguez	ESP	2:01:45.6
29 Melissa Gorman	AUS	2:02:16.0
36 Danielle De Francesco	AUS	2:02:55.4