Bulgaria, Brazil win amid heat row
Source: Agencies |
July 24, 2011, Sunday
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BULGARIA'S Petar Stoychev and Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil won controversial men's and women's 25-kilometer open water races at the 14th FINA World Championships yesterday as competitors battled temperatures that exceeded safety guidelines.
The officials' decision to keep racing drew the ire of athletes and several teams, with the United States team advising all it athletes not to race when its officials tested the water at the Jinshan City Beach at 9.30pm on Friday and found it was 30.4 degrees Celsius.
Officials of other teams said the maximum water temperature should not exceed 31 degrees. The Germans tested the water during the race, with the temperature in excess of 32 degrees.
Organizers had twice brought the start of the races forward from the initial 8am to 6am to try to ensure swimmers were not hampered by water temperature.
"The water was hot. I was angry because when in the sixth lap my coach told me now it was 31 degrees and we had to swim one more lap," Germany's women's silver medalist Angela Maurer told reporters.
"And in the seventh lap he told me to finish the race regardless of the temperature. I think the temperature was over 31 degrees. I got so tired after eight laps."
Italy's Alice Franco, who won the bronze medal, said the race conditions had not been safe.
"We are not machine(s). This water is too hot for our safety. We can't swim well," she said.
Both races were effected by team withdrawals, with six swimmers, including German Thomas Lurz, who won the 5K race and took silver in the Olympic-qualifying 10K race, not even starting the men's race, while nine withdrew during it. A total of 35 had entered the race.
The US also scratched two of its three swimmers, Haley Anderson and Alex Meyer, before the races started while Claire Thompson was closely monitored during it before being pulled out by team officials.
US officials have been extra cautious on water conditions since Fran Crippen, who was hoping to become the first US open water medalist at an Olympics in London next year, died of apparent heat exhaustion when he swam at an event in Dubai last October.
A US panel, set up to investigate the 26-year-old's death, recommended that FINA implement minimum and maximum water temperatures for races and safety standards. FINA said at a later conference that the competition had been run in conjunction with its safety guidelines.
Despite the concerns, Stoychev found his victory, in a time of five hours, 10 minutes, 39.8 seconds particularly pleasing.
"That was probably my last world championships, I never won the gold medal (at world championships) before, I have one (thought) in my mind today that I have to win the race," added the Bulgarian, who turns 35 in October.
"I am qualified for the Olympics ... and my purpose is to participate in the Olympic Games ... but there will be no world championships next year. 2013 is two more years away.
Stoychev was followed by Russia's Vladymir Dyatchin in 5:11:15.6 and Csaba Gercsak of Hungary (5:11:18.1).
The officials' decision to keep racing drew the ire of athletes and several teams, with the United States team advising all it athletes not to race when its officials tested the water at the Jinshan City Beach at 9.30pm on Friday and found it was 30.4 degrees Celsius.
Officials of other teams said the maximum water temperature should not exceed 31 degrees. The Germans tested the water during the race, with the temperature in excess of 32 degrees.
Organizers had twice brought the start of the races forward from the initial 8am to 6am to try to ensure swimmers were not hampered by water temperature.
"The water was hot. I was angry because when in the sixth lap my coach told me now it was 31 degrees and we had to swim one more lap," Germany's women's silver medalist Angela Maurer told reporters.
"And in the seventh lap he told me to finish the race regardless of the temperature. I think the temperature was over 31 degrees. I got so tired after eight laps."
Italy's Alice Franco, who won the bronze medal, said the race conditions had not been safe.
"We are not machine(s). This water is too hot for our safety. We can't swim well," she said.
Both races were effected by team withdrawals, with six swimmers, including German Thomas Lurz, who won the 5K race and took silver in the Olympic-qualifying 10K race, not even starting the men's race, while nine withdrew during it. A total of 35 had entered the race.
The US also scratched two of its three swimmers, Haley Anderson and Alex Meyer, before the races started while Claire Thompson was closely monitored during it before being pulled out by team officials.
US officials have been extra cautious on water conditions since Fran Crippen, who was hoping to become the first US open water medalist at an Olympics in London next year, died of apparent heat exhaustion when he swam at an event in Dubai last October.
A US panel, set up to investigate the 26-year-old's death, recommended that FINA implement minimum and maximum water temperatures for races and safety standards. FINA said at a later conference that the competition had been run in conjunction with its safety guidelines.
Despite the concerns, Stoychev found his victory, in a time of five hours, 10 minutes, 39.8 seconds particularly pleasing.
"That was probably my last world championships, I never won the gold medal (at world championships) before, I have one (thought) in my mind today that I have to win the race," added the Bulgarian, who turns 35 in October.
"I am qualified for the Olympics ... and my purpose is to participate in the Olympic Games ... but there will be no world championships next year. 2013 is two more years away.
Stoychev was followed by Russia's Vladymir Dyatchin in 5:11:15.6 and Csaba Gercsak of Hungary (5:11:18.1).
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