Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer based out of Victoria, BC. In feeding his passion for swimming, he has developed YourSwimBook, a powerful log book and goal setting guide made specifically for swimmers. Sign up for the YourSwimBook newsletter (free) and get weekly motivational tips by clicking here.
FINA, despite simultaneously hosting the open water World Championships in Barcelona, continued its World Cup and Grand Prix series’ in Canada this week in Canada.
Titles were dished out Thursday for the men’s and women’s open water 10km at the 59th Annual Traversée Internationale du lac St. Jean. Held in Roberval, Quebec, the 10km race – and later this weekend the 32km – are part of the FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup. Six laps around a 1.67km course the swimmers go, starting and finishing in the Roberval harbor. Up for grabs is $20,000 in prize money.
On the men’s side, Alexander Studzinski (GER) put just under a minute on the field to touch first in 2:00.06. Studzinsky is no stranger to open water swimming circles, having won numerous Grand Prix events, and most recently, the German National 25km Championship and the Henley Classic, a 2.1 km race in the River Thames.
Placing second was Nicolas Masse-Savard (CAN) in a time of 2:00.55, while third place was claimed by Joanes Hedel (CAN) in 2:00.59.
Emily Brunemann (USA) who trains and coaches out of Ann Arbor, is bouncing back well this season after not qualifying for London last year. She won the women’s 10km in Roberval, clocking a 2:01.02. In second, less than a minute behind, was Jade Dusablon (CAN) in a time of 2:00.56, and third place was claimed by fellow Canadian Beatrice Pineau well back in 2:13.05.
The 32km event takes place on Saturday, with a further $40,000 in prize money up for grabs.
This series will roll in two weeks into Lac Megantic in Quebec: a race that was once in danger after a tragic crash that had a train crash into the lake. It spilled 5.7 million litres of light crude into the lake, and more tragically killed 47 (with 5 victims still unaccounted for). Swimming Canada has confirmed to us that as of now, that race is still planned to move forward.
32 km? Wow! Congrats to all the participants.
:Bravo1:
:king3:
I don’t know if I’d ever do 32k in one setting for 40k. I ran 32k a few years ago and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I cant imagine swimming that. Prize purse should be much bigger.
Wow — Emily was almost as fast as the men’s winner of that race.
Christopher Grimmett-Norris from NCAP & will be swimming at Kentucky in the Fall, participated In his first World Cup ( a member of the Jr Open Water National Team) placed 5th!!!