Swimming: Kiwi quartet prepare for open water world champs

Kane Radford. Photo / Mark Tantrum

The open water quartet of Kane Radford, Phillip Ryan, Cara Baker and Emma Robinson will lead New Zealand's campaign at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Barcelona at the weekend.

Barcelona Harbour will be the venue for four days of open water competition ahead of the pool competition which runs from 28 July until 4 August. The 15th FINA World Championships also includes water polo, synchro, diving and for the first time, high diving.

Swimming New Zealand Open Water manager Philip Rush said he has been pleased with the preparation of his swimmers ahead of the championships.

He has singled out Radford who he believes can work his way into the top 20 in the opening 5km swim tomorrow.

"Kane has prepared really well. He has really stepped up his training and completed some weeks of 100kms which is breaking new ground for him," Rush said.

"That's considerably more mileage than he has achieved before and he has also trained with more intensity. We think this will help him in the back end of his racing especially in the 10km swim next week."

He will be joined by Auckland's Ryan in the men's 5km race with the Waterhole club swimmer having just returned to Europe after coming back to New Zealand to train following the test event last month.

Queensland-based Baker, the national 5km and 10km champion, has also impressed in training.

"I believe Cara is in better shape than she was for the pre-Olympic event in Portugal."
Robinson, from Wellington, debuts in the world championship and Rush believes her speed will stand her well in the 5km swim especially.

The course is technical with a 2.5km lap in a U-shape around the marina.

"It is like a series of 400m swims before changing direction. So it is very technical and if swimmers are not alert then gaps will happen quickly. It is amazing for spectators who can follow the whole swim.

"We would like to see them give the 5km swim a really good go, although the 10km is the most important as the Olympic distance."

The competition is likely to be blazingly hot with most of the Olympic stars in action while a number of other slick pool swimmers are making the move to open water in the 5km, 10km and 25km races.

Competition kicks off with the 5km swims on Saturday overnight, men's 10km on Monday, and women on Tuesday.