AUSSIE BOYS MIX IT WITH THE MEN IN RUGGED 10KM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted in Swimming

Rome, July 22: Australia's boys most likely in open water swimming for the 2012 London Olympics,

Trent Grimsey and Rhys Mainstone, mixed it in the rugged man's world at the FINA World Championships in Rome today.

Grimsey, 21 finished 8^th and Mainstone, 19, finished 21st in a fitting 10km world championship title swim which saw Germany's open water "king" Thomas Lurz add the 10km title to his 5km crown from yesterday - giving him his eighth world title since 2004.

Both Australian boys gave a great sight with Mainstone mixing it in the lead group for the first seven kilometres - before being "swallowed up" up the pack.

Grimsey, who admitted he learnt from most of his mistakes in the five kilometres the day before, sat comfortably in the pack for the first eight kilometres before making his move to push towards the front.

He pushed up to the top three to give himself a chance but it was a move he said later was probably premature.

"I maybe should have stayed in the pack a little longer and saved myself for the finish," said Grimsey, who must be a great chance of making the team and winning a medal the in London in three years time.

"The 10km is my best event that's for sure and races like that are learning curves. My plan was to stay with the pack and swim as easy as I could and go with Lurz.

"They just had too much pace over the final stages."

On his Olympic aspirations Grimsey must now decide where he will launch that campaign, with his long standing coach John Rodgers accepting an offer to coach in Toronto, Canada from September.

"I'm unsure at this stage whether I can afford to go to Canada - I'll have to wait and see what happens," said Grimsey.

Mainstone was disappointed but he too knows he can only improve.

"It was just a hard race and it is a whole lot different to the races back in Australia. But I felt good the whole way, I just got eaten up after that final feed - they put me down and I never recovered. It was just too hard," said Mainstone.

"I gave it everything I had in the final 500m, I just could not make any impression."

Mainstone, swimming in his first major international, mixed it with the leaders over the first five kilometres, sitting in the top three and four swimmers, before pushing in to second.

Julien Codevelle (France) and Valerio Cleri (Italy) swapped the lead as "king" Lurz, lurked in their wake.

(Lurz is the most celebrated open water swimmer over five and 10km - winning 12 medals - including five consecutive five kilometre wins between 2005 ands 2009 and three 10km wins in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

He was also a bronze medallist in the Beijing Olympics over 10km and has made a successful career of both pool and open water swimming.)

Cleri took control as the field approached the five kilometre mark and as the pace hotted up and the water became choppy with the stronger afternoon breeze, he tried to make a breakaway, with Lurz and Mainstone in pursuit.

The inexperienced Australian teenager swam alongside the feeding station, rolled onto his back, took a drink and swam off alongside Lurz.

"He fed well...and just kept going, he was well placed and looked like he was enjoying himself," said team manager and experienced handler John Saliba.

At the six kilometre mark Cleri poured the pace on, with Lurz and in hot pursuit and Mainstone hanging on in a chase pack of four swimmers.

Belgium's Brian Ryckeman joined in the action towards the seven kilometre mark, taking the lead away from Cleri.

There was still nothing between the top 15 swimmers as they jostled for positions at the final feeding station at the seven-and-half kilometre mark.

Mainstone fed in the middle of the field and swam into trouble as the pack converged on the eight kilometre marker while team mate Grimsey, chose to swim wide and by-pass the station.

Ryckeman, Cleri and Lurz then took control of the race, which had been very much a cat and mouse affair for the first three-quarters of the race - with the pace on for a dog-fight to the finish.

It also saw Grimsey on the move as the 21-year-old gave himself every chance of being in the finish after being content to sit back and pick his time to move.

The leaders started to spread wide as they all looked for clear space and a winning move - with two distinct groups - one led by Lurz and the other by Cleri and Ryckeman.

Coming into the final buoy turn Grimsey was pushed under by eventual bronze medallist American Fran Crippen but came up swimming for the final dash to the finish, which saw Crippen's team mate Andrew Gemmell take the silver behind the unstoppable Lurz.

Grimsey will now have two days off before being joined in the 25km by 2004 World Champion Brendan Capell while Kate Brookes-Peterson and Shelley Clark will line up in the women's race.

10k Men
1 Thomas Lurz	GER	1:52:06.9
2 Andrew Gemmell	USA	1:52:08.3
3 Francis Crippen	USA	1:52:10.7
4 Valerio Cleri	ITA	1:52:11.4
5 Brian Ryckeman	BEL	1:52:13.1
6 Spyridon Gianniotis	GRE	1:52:13.6
7 Francisco Jose Hervas	ESP	1:52:14.7
8 Trent Grimsey	AUS	1:52:14.8
21 Rhys Mainstone	AUS	1:52:50.2