Events are underway at the 2011 FINA World Championships, but not all swimming takes place in the pool. Competitors head into the open water for action at Jinshan City Beach in Shanghai on Tuesday 19 July.
The host team, China, did its official training at the venue on Thursday morning. The open water races include 5k, 10k and 25k events. The swimmers held a half-hour practice to get used to the temperature and the environment. They had trained in rivers and lakes for the past month, and now worked to complete the transition from swimming in freshwater to sea-water before the 5 days of competition begin.
Has it worked? Well……
“When I swim in the sea, my throat aches. I feel thirsty but seawater is not drinkable. Besides, there are many big waves in the sea and your object ahead is not easy to find. And it feels bad to swim against the waves.”
Information provided by and thanks to cctv.com