By Steven Munatones, Swimming World Special Correspondent
SEVILLE, Spain, May 1. TODAY, at the FINA World Open Water Championships in Seville, the race course was set as dozens of the world's best open water swimmers, including Grant Hackett and David Davies, practiced their starts, turns and finishes for the key points in the race.
As the swimmers and coaches know, there is special meaning for those well-known words, "Swimmers…to your mark…," in the open water world championships.
The start in Seville will be a wooden dock only inches above the water level. Instead of a single starting block behind a single line, the dock will hold 47 women for Saturday's 10K race and 52 men for Sunday's 10K Olympic qualifying race. During Friday's pre-race meeting, the starting positions will be selected by random drawing. Each swimmer will have approximately 60 centimeters (or roughly two feet) on the starting dock for the dive start according to their draw position.
"Everyone is swimming well and everyone is in great shape," said Bill Rose, head coach of the 10-member U.S. team. "We have more experience and confidence now than we did in Melbourne (at the 2007 World Swimming Championships)."
"I feel great," echoed Micha Burden, who will open up the World Championships in Saturday's 10K race with teammate Kirsten Groome.
Paul Asmuth, one of the assistant coaches on the team, said the water is 71-72 degrees with no current, but the water temperature and weather is expected to get warmer as race day approaches.