The Seine River has faced poor water quality concerns over the last few months but that was not the biggest conversation for most athletes at the end of the 10 km open water races the last two days. Instead, the current in the river was talked about greatly.
Katie Grimes of the US became the first woman for the US to ever swim in both the pool and open water at the same Olympics. Grimes said after the race, “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, ever, I think, with just the current.”
Grimes continued, “You’re going against the current for a really long period of time and also just the turns going across the way was super challenging.”
Fellow American Mariah Denigan also spoke of the currents while in her first Olympics, “It was definitely the roughest currents that I’ve ever experienced and definitely the toughest race I’ve ever done. So it was a race of experience, and that’s what shows on the podium.”
Grimes finished 15th (2:06:29.6) and Dengian was 16th (2:06:42.9) out of the 24 women in the race. The two were about three minutes behind Sharon van Rouwendall of the Netherlands who won gold in a 2:03:34.2.
“When you were going the way of the current, it was great,” said van Rouwendaal. “You could swim on your back and you felt like you were super powerful. Then on the way back, you’re like, ‘Uh oh.’”
Ivan Puskovitch was the only man in the race for the US today. He also spoke of the current after his race, especially at the turns, “when you just have this wall of water coming at you from the side.” Puskovitch finished 19th out of 25 men.
The current in the river ranged from .4 m/s on the bank to .8 m/s in the middle of the water this week.
The most discussed topic heading into the races was the water quality of the Seine. The Seine River had high levels of pollution leading up to the triathlon events as training sessions were canceled the Sunday and Monday before the race. Open water athletes had a training session canceled on Tuesday due to poor water quality.
E. Coli levels have been high in the Seine River, including 10x too high just over a month before the Olympics began. One swimmer in the men’s race, Victor Johansson of Sweden scratched the event due to water quality concerns. Despite this, athletes seemed to speak more about the current than about the water in the Seine.
What genius thought a river was a good venue for open water racing? The athletes hardly had any opportunities to train IN the river because of the water quality.
Apparently it was not an issue for the two Hungarian medalists. Actually not all country has seaside but you can find a river everywhere. It is just far more technical and physical to swim in a river.
Water quality will have their press conference in a couple days.
Until USA Swimming decides to truly and fully support Open Water they cannot expect their swimmers to be properly competitive in this discipline.
That means taking a lesson from other countries and treating open water with the same commitment as the pool. An actual open water training/holding camp in the Olympic lead up where the swimmers are swimming in course similar open water and environment opposed to sitting in the Olympic Village with pool practices only for approximately two weeks. It means not allowing non-US swimmers at Open Water Nationals, the only national level open water meet in the U.S. where team, race and stipends are on the line. Not bestowing coaches open water positions who opt to attend… Read more »
How come they didn’t comment how easy it was swimming with the current?
It was the same course for everyone! Those that went into it with a great mindset were successful! The men and women medalist were all veterans and have medaled in all situations!
Congrats!
20-year old Betlehem – the bronze medalist in men is not what I would call a veteran..
Knowing the current was going to be a major factor, I’m wondering why USA swimming didn’t have its open water swimmers go to a training camp somewhere that had a good river to train in. The US athletes seemed caught off guard by the current, when it was absolutely predictable. Swimming against a current requires a change in one’s stroke and calculations on how to navigate turns and going wide to lessen the current vs. staying on the shortest path to the next buoy. I feel bad for any athlete who had to navigate those things for the first time in an Olympic race. USA Swimming needs to start treating open water as an actual sport instead of a tack… Read more »
Can’t cut into CEO bonus. Please keep your priorities straight.
I read somewhere that one if the Hungarians trained in the Danube to get used to swimming in a current
It’s not like they would be able to actively feel the difference in water quality while swimming though.
If you can feel the difference in water quality then that is an utter disaster. No body wants to be bumping into logs.