This weekend SwimSwam.com will bring you complete coverage of the Tiburon Mile in the beautiful San Francisco Bay. I’ll be calling the race live with a scheduled start time of 9:00 AM Pacific Time.
So what do you watch for in this race? First, there’s $10,000 USD on the line so it’s going to be very competitive – this will not be a lesierly late summer swim. Most of the elite division will have scouted out the course the day prior to the swim to test the currents which are variable based upon the tides. This is always an exciting tactical race and this year will be no exception.
Tune in beginning at 8:50 as I count down the start from the waters off Angel Island.
In the women’s 2012 RCP Tiburon Mile, old pros will return to defend their titles against the young upstarts.
Becca Mann-USA: Becca, 14, is the youngest seeded Elite the RCP Tiburon Mile has had. In 2011 Becca placed 2nd in Open Water 5k Nationals. And is currently ranked 9th in the world in 1500 free. Qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 400 IM, 400 free, 800 free and 200 fly. She is a national age group holder in the 800 free (13/14) and 1500 free (11/12). One of the top up and coming swimmers in the U.S. Becca’s recent open water success includes victories in the Jr. Pan Pac 10K and the Waikiki Roughwater Swim.
Melissa Gorman-AUS: The 2009 and 2o11 RCP Tiburon Mile 1st place winner is back to defend her title and race again for the $10,000 prize. At the 2010 World Open Water Swimming Championships, Melissa captured the bronze medal in the 5K, but it was her 2009 World Swimming Championships performance that was, perhaps, her most memorable. Melissa stunned Larisa Ilchenko, the Olympic Champion, to win gold in the 5K. Melissa, a two time open water Olympian, recently competed in the London Olympic 10K where she placed 11th.
Christine Jennings-USA: 2010 RCP Tiburon Mile Female 1st place winner Christine, 24, returns to Tiburon to claim another title. She won one of the eight 2012 FINA 10k World Cup races in. She placed 2nd in the 10K and 3rd in the 5K in the 2011 USA Swimming Open Water National Champs and won Gold in the 2010 Pan Pacific Champs. She won the 2009 and 2010 FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cups in Lac St-Jean and the Pan Pacific Championship in the 10k Open Water Swim last year in Irvine, California.
Ashley Twichell-USA: Ashley, 23, a big star in open water swim news, joins us once again at the RCP Tiburon Mile. She is a world-class open water swimmer and a member of the USA National Open Water Swimming Team. Ashley won a gold and bronze medal at the 2011 World Swimming Championships in Shanghai China. Ashley is the current 5K and 10K USA National Champion.
Brooke Lorentzen- USA: Brooke placed 11th in the 800 free and 4th in the 10K last month’s Jr. Pan Pacs in Hawaii. Lortentzen was 2nd in the 800 free at the 2012 Junior Nationals.
Beatrice Eisel-Germany: Is an rising star in German open water swimming. She was recently the 4th overall woman finisher at the famed Waikiki Roughwater Swim.
Emily Brunemann-USA: Emily, 25, is a two time FINA World Cup 10K Open Water Champion, 1650 freestyle NCAA Champion , two time USA National Champion in the 1500 freestyle and 10K Open Water and current member of the USA National Swim Team. She represented the United States in Japan, Italy, China, Hong Kong, Argentina, Brazil and Grand Cayman, is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and currently a professional swimmer.
Luane Rowe-AUS: Luane, 22, is an Australian world-class open water swimmer with numerous race wins throughout Australia and the US. She is now a designer with FINIS. Luane finished 1st in the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Waikiki Roughwater Swims. 1st in the 2010 & 2008 Cole Classic and the 2010 Bondi Beach Classic. Luane swam with the women’s RCP Tiburon Miler Wahinis in the 2008, 2009 & 2010 Maui Channel Swim winning 1st all 3 years. This will be Luane’s 4th RCP Tiburon Mile.
Evgeny Bezruchenko-Russia: Evgeny, was a member of the RCP Tiburon Milers that finished 1st in the 07, 08, 10 & 11 Trans Tahoe Open Water Swims and 1st in the 2006 & 2007 Maui Channel Swims. In 2004 he placed 3rd at the RCP Tiburon Mile Swim. In 2001, Evgeny was a Gold medalist at the World Championships in the 10k Open Water Swim and a Silver medalist in the 5k Open Water Swim. This is Evgeny’s 11th year participating in the Mile.
Gerardin Burns-USA: Burns trains with Coach Bill Rose in Mission Viejo and won the bronze at the 2012 Jr. Pan Pacs in the 1500 free. He was a double gold medalist at the 2012 Jr. Nationals winning the 400 and 800 freestyle events.
Nick Norman-USA: At 15 years of age, Norman is the youngest male in the field. He is posted the 46th fastest 1500m free time for 15-16 year olds of 15:41.62. Norman was 5th in the 1500 at 2012 Jr. Nationals. He trains with the Mission Viejo Nadadores.
Ridge Grimsey-AUS: Ridge, 18, of Australia is the youngest of the Grimsey brothers—all of which are open water swimmers. He was on the winning team at the 2012 Trans Tahoe Relay and joins us at the RCP Tiburon Mile for the first time.
Vincent Donelly-USA: Vinny is from Florida and swam at Purdue Univ. where he broke several records his freshman yr. competing in distance freestyle events. Vinny finished 9th in the USA Swimming Open Water 10K this June and will compete for the 3rd time in the RCP Tiburon Mile.
Charles Cunnick-USA: Charles, 26, is from Davenport, Iowa took to Northwestern University for swimming where he was the team captain in 2008.
Mike Lewis has nearly three decades of open water swimming experience as both an athlete and coach. He has worked with a wide range of athletes including Olympians and World Record Holders. Mike was as an administrator in the U.S. Olympic movement for 10 years and was a team director for the 2000 Olympic games. Mike himself is an avid swimmer and has notched several top 10 rankings in US Masters swimming.