 Russian favored in 10km
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-20 08:37
Russian open water superstar Larisa Ilchenko will enter the women's 10km marathon swimming race as overwhelming favorite to take gold in an event making its Olympic debut at Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park today. Ilchenko has dominated open water swimming since 2004, winning five consecutive 5km world championships and three consecutive 10km races. Given her ability to win in all water conditions and temperatures, she should adapt quickly to the warm shallow waters in Shunyi. The 19-year-old athlete often chooses to sit behind the leaders and make a move in the last kilometer, so should relish the calm conditions and be able to swim the race on her terms. Cassandra Patten of Great Britain burst on to the scene with a surprise silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. A brave performance saw her lose a sprint to the line by only one second against the seemingly unbeatable Ilchenko. Patten is looking to go one better this time in conditions more to her liking. "In Melbourne I swam with jellyfish and dead dogs and sea snakes, you name it," she recalled. She also claimed silver behind Ilchenko earlier this year at the world championships in Seville. Patten finished in eighth position in the final of the women's 800m freestyle event at the Water Cube. The experienced Angela Maurer of Germany will also be a strong medal contender. Her performance to claim fourth place at the 2007 world championships was far better than it looked on paper. She swam most of the race trapped in the rough conditions of the main pack but fell short of the leaders by only a few seconds. Maurer was the 25km gold medalist at the 2006 World Championships in Italy. Other top contenders include Jana Pechanova of the Czech Republic, a silver medalist at the 2004 World Championships and consistent performer over the 5km, 10km and 25km disciplines. Spain's Yurema Requena and Brazil's Poliana Okimoto could also challenge for a medal after strong 2008 seasons. Agencies (China Daily 08/20/2008 page23) |
