AUSSIES CLAIM OPEN WATER MEDALS AT FINA GRAND PRIX

LAC ST JEAN, CANADA: Australian Open Water swimmers celebrated some great performances at the recent FINA World Open Water Grand Prix with Australian team members, Brendan Capell and Shelley Clark as well as Victorian, Lucy Redgrove claiming medals.

Capell and Clark both won silver in their respective 32 kilometre races while Surrey Park's Redgrove claimed her first international medal with a bronze in the 10 kilometre event.

The famous annual swim held in the city of Roberval on the shores of Lac St Jean, north of Quebec drew plenty of world class competition with many swimmers grabbing a final hit out before heading to Beijing for the Olympic Games.

Former marathon world champion, Brendan Capell clocked a time of 7 hours 44 minutes and 35 seconds to finish behind renowned Bulgarian, Petar Stoychev (7h39m13s) with local Canadian favourite Simon Tobin (7h49m11s) third and fellow Australian David Browne (8h03m50s) fourth.

In the women's 32 kilometre final it was Russia's, Natalya Pankina (8h36m35s) who took the win ahead of Australia's Shelley Clark (8h37m37s)incredibly by just over a minute after over eight and a half hours in testing 19 degree water.

Eight swimmers from the combined men's and women's 32km race abandoned due to the tough conditions.

While over the Olympic 10 kilometre distance, rising Melbourne talent, Lucy

Redgrove captured a memorable bronze medal behind world class German duo, Angela Maurer and Britta Kamrau-Corestein.

Redgrove will be one to watch when the Australian Open Water Championships early next year which also double as selection trials for the 2009 FINA World Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy.