Keller is making her second appearance in the Pan American Games and is coming off a strong second place finish in the 25K at the 2007 World Championships. Sutton is the back-to-back 10K National Champion and will make her Pan American Games debut on Saturday.
Peterson is also competing in his first Pan American Games. Peterson won gold in the 10K at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 National Championships and became the first American man to capture a World Championship open water swimming title since 1991 with his win at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal. Crippen placed second in the 10K at the U.S. Open Water National Championships in 2007.
The U.S. open water swimmers tested the waters at Copacabana Beach Thursday morning along with a handful of their competitors. "It was raining when were there and the water was a little choppy," Peterson said. "The course has a lot of turns and it took a while to understand, but it was very beautiful and it should be a fun race."
Keller said that the course was similar to what she expected. "The water was a bit rough and there were little jellyfish under us in the water, but we are used to that," she said. "It'll be a good race."
Saturday's 10K open water swim competition will award the first medals of the Games and will mark the event's first-ever appearance in the Pan American Games. The 10K open water swim will make its first Olympic appearance at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
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