While cool temperatures dominate most of the northern hemisphere, it’s summer down below the equator. And this weekend in New Zealand’s Lake Taupo top open water swimmers will come together at one of the summer’s best events to race for automatic bids for the 2013 FINA Open Water World Championships at the “State Epic Swim”. The selection race will be 10K . The selection event will be one of two races that will take place over the weekend’s festivities that will see over 600 swimmers joining in the fun. In addition to the to the world championship team spots, there will be $14K (NZ) up for grabs in prize money – winners in each the men’s and women’s divisions will take home a nice $5,000 for their efforts.
Odds on favorites include Kane Radford – New Zealand’s top distance swimmer. Radford was second to Australia’s Trent Grimsey in last year’s race. Radford one the prestigious Tiburon Mile last September for the second consecutive year. Kane has been at a training camp with Australia’s Rhys Mainstone in Perth (Mainstone, one of the Aussie’s top open water swimmers, topped the podium at the Waikiki Roughwater Swim in 2012). On the women’s side Cara Baker, who, like Radford, missed a chance to compete at the London Olympics, will in the hunt for the title. Baker was second to Australia’s Melissa Gorman – two time open water Olympian – in last year’s event.
Visit the State Epic Swim for more details.