Can 10km swimmer Payne add gold to Beijing silver?
The women’s 10km swim, around London’s Serpentine, may not carry the glamour of other swimming events. But Britain’s Keri-Anne Payne, who took silver in Beijing, is tipped to go one better in 2012.
The 10km marathon swim should garner plenty of support at London’s Hyde Park on 9 August, writes Channel 4 News producer Rebecca Horsbrugh.
Keri-Anne Payne is certainly the woman to watch in this event at the Serpentine. She’s the current world open-water champion over the distance and took silver in Beijing in 2008. This time around she is favourite to take the coveted gold.
Payne also holds the distinction of being the first of the 542-strong Team GB to be selected for London 2012, thanks to her world win in Shanghai in July last year.
10km swim at London 2012
Date: 9 August at 12.00
Course: 10km around the Serpentine. 25 athletes will swim six laps of the course marked by buoys, with a timing gate after each lap recording lap times. At the finish swimmers slap an overhead board to record their overall time after passing through a timing gap. There are no heats, just one straight final.
The course could be a factor as swimmers will have to navigate six buoys rather than the usual four, due to the fact that the Serpentine’s is smaller than usual courses. A great deal of energy is taken up in this manoeuvre, although at least the swimmers won’t have to deal with jellyfish or dead animals and the like that often darken the open waters of other lakes and rivers.
It can get quite rough with the competitors fighting for position, and it’s not unheard of for the odd punch or kick to be thrown.
Payne is made of stern stuff, however, despite admitting to a love of make-up and desserts. She also has the advantage of being a fast starter, meaning that if she can stay ahead of the pack, she will also stay out of trouble.
Her main rivals are likely to be Martina Grimaldi of Italy and Greece’s Marianna Lymperta, though Payne still stands head and shoulders above the field overall.
The Johannesburg-born, Stockport-trained swimmer will also have the added bonus of her fiance, two-time Commonwealth Games champion David Carry at the games competing in the 400m freestyle.
The pair plan to marry in September, with double Olympic champion swimmer Rebecca Adlington as one of the bridesmaids. It could be quite a celebration if all three medal at the games.
