Great Swimmers set for a capital day
The one-mile open water swim, which is being staged in the spectacular setting of Royal Victoria Dock in the rejuvenated Docklands area of London’s East End, has attracted a formidable array of celebrity and elite talent including British Olympic silver medalists Keri-Anne Payne and Dave Davies, top model Jodie Kidd and well-known TV and radio personality Vernon Kay.
Kidd has been training especially for the British Gas Great Swim series with Davies. She’ll be joined by actor Maxwell Caulfield, well known for his TV role in hit soap Emmerdale and Kay, synonymous with the hit TV show Family Fortunes as well as his BBC Radio 1 show.
Also present will be one of Britain’s all-time great swimmers, Duncan Goodhew, who won the 100m breaststroke gold at the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
Swimmers will take part in a series of waves, starting at 8:30 and continuing until 16:30. Duncan will start one of the waves. The elite women’s race will be staged at noon with the elite men following at 12:30.
Payne got the 2010 British Gas Great Swim series off to a terrific start at the opening event of the year at Alton Water reservoir near Ipswich on Saturday 19 June 2010.
After that stunning triumph at the British Gas Great East Swim, world champion Payne will again be battling it out with fellow Briton Cassie Patten, who was third at Alton Water.
The two girls have been dominant forces in the world open water swimming scene for several years, with Patten winning bronze in the 10k event at the Beijing Olympics with Payne taking silver, while she was also runner up behind Payne at the 2009 world championships.
Two other Britons will also be big contenders; reigning British Gas Great London Swim champion Katy Whitfield and Kaleigh Dawson, who took 6th place at the European open water championships last year.
The elite men’s race is the best international field ever and promises to be just as close with Davies going head-to-head with British Gas Great East Swim winner Ky Hurst of Australia, Belgium’s Tom Vangeneugden, who has been second at Alton Water the last two years, and European 1500m champion Jan Wolfgarten of Germany.
However, the man to beat could prove to be reigning British Gas Great London Swim champion Thomas Lurz of Germany, who took the bronze in Beijing behind Davies in the longer 10k event but has already proved his ability at the one-mile distance by winning the 2009 British Gas Great North Swim at Windermere.
Spectators enjoy free entry at a venue that is tailor-made for viewing what should be some world-class swimming action – there are great vantage points right around the dock as well as on the bridge between it and the neighbouring Royal Albert Dock – while there will also be lots of other attractions to see and do at the event, including charity and sponsors’ marquees.
What’s more, the Royal Victoria Dock, situated close to the Thames Barrage, boasts a stunning metropolitan setting with views of Canary Wharf and the magnificent London skyline – and excellent access from the rest of London.
Colin Hill, Great Swim Project Manager, said: “We are advising everyone to arrive at the event site at least one hour before their start time so they have plenty of time to beat the traffic and have a stress free swim.
“It should be a brilliant day and we’d like to thank all the event partners who have had the vision to support what has become the biggest and best outdoor swim series in the country. Good luck to everyone taking part.”
The event is the second of five open water swims taking place across the country with the next installment being the British Gas Great Scottish Swim at Strathclyde Loch near Glasgow on August 21. Over 20,000 swimmers are expected to take part in the series.
Pamela Brown, Brand manager for British Gas, said: “The British Gas Great Swim series is fast establishing itself in the sporting calendar as must-do challenges for thousands of people of all ages and abilities and it is due to events such as these that we got involved with swimming in the first place. As a supporter of swimming in Britain through all levels we wish every swimmer the best of luck in completing their swim. We are especially proud that hundreds of our own British Gas staff will be taking to the water to raise money for our charity of the year Make a Wish.”
For more details visit www.greatswim.org