Marathon swimming is a gruelling endurance sport where athletes compete in open water, covering 10km. The sport was officially added to the Olympic program at the Beijing 2008 Games, though its origins in competitive swimming date back much further. For Paris 2024 the events will take place in the Seine.
Unlike pool swimming, marathon swimming takes place in natural bodies of water, adding the complexities of varying temperatures, currents, and conditions to the athletes' challenges.
The events begin with a mass start from a platform, where all competitors dive in simultaneously. The race has no lane restrictions, allowing for close proximity and incidental contact among swimmers.
Races last around two hours but it’s the final 3km that are crucial. This is where swimmers make strategic moves to position themselves for the finish.
Australia has a rich history in marathon swimming and open water events, with a full team of four athletes competing, marking a significant milestone as the largest Australian contingent in the event's history.
Representing Australia is Dolphin Chelsea Gubecka, who secured her spot by winning a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships. Joining her is pool swimmer to open water convert Moesha Johnson, who, along with Nicholas Sloman and Kyle Lee, will make their Olympic debuts.
Freddie Lane won Australia's first Olympic swimming medals in the Seine during the Paris 1900 Olympics with the green and gold looking to replicate the effort in the 10km event.
Australia’s first Marathon Swimming medal honour goes to Kareena Lee in Tokyo 2020. Kareena Lee won a bronze medal in the women's 10km marathon swim completing the course in 1:59:32.50, Australia's first Olympic medal in the event since its inclusion in 2008.
Marathon swimming is one of the few sports at the Games for which there are no world record times for. Due to the highly variable conditions of open water environments like water temperature, currents, tides, and weather significantly impacting swim times, it becomes impossible to standardise conditions across different locations and events.
Additionally, each course is unique, further contributing to the inconsistency in race conditions. This variability ensures that every race presents its own unique set of challenges, precluding the establishment of comparable world record times.
Marathon swimming was introduced at the international level with the 10km marathon distance event in 2001 at the FINA (now World Aquatics) World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Marathon swimming tests the limits of endurance, strategy, and adaptability, promising thrilling finishes and showcasing the resilience and skill of the world's best swimmers.
With a strong Australian team in contention, the Paris 2024 marathon swimming events will be ones to watch.
The women’s race is scheduled for August 8th, and the men’s race will take place on August 9th, both starting at 3:30pm AEST
Sarah Dyce
