Organisers planning 6 lap Open Water race at London 2012 Olympics

London 2012 organisers have released further details of the 10km open water swimming event in the Serpentine at Hyde Park.

The race will consist of six laps of 1.67km rather than the more widely-used format of four laps of 2.5km.

The swimming leg of the triathlon – due to take place over the two days before the marathon swimming – will also be in the Serpentine with athletes completing one 1500m lap before their cycling and running phases.

Defending Olympic 10km open water bronze medallist Cassie Patten insisted the different format would have little bearing on the results on the day and admitted a visit to the site had left her tingling at the prospect of competing in London.

“Obviously there are more turns but with open water swimming, you have to embrace the fact that no event will be the same as the one before,” said Patten. “We’ve got two years to get used to it.

“The water in the Serpentine is a really good quality and it’s just a wonderful venue in the middle on London.

“I got goosebumps when I arrived, butterflies in my stomach. Every day when I wake up, it’s in the back of my mind, but you’ve just to keep training as if it wasn’t there because you could become overwhelmed by it.”