Chloe Sutton (Roseville, Calif. / California Capital) was the top American finisher on the first day of open water swimming at the FINA World Championships Sunday in Melbourne, finishing 12th in the women’s 5K with a time of 1 hour, 51.9 seconds. Swimming in her first open water race ever, teammate Leah Gingrich (Enola, Pa. / WSY Swimming) crossed the finish line at St. Kilda’s Beach in 17th place (1:00:58.5).

The first medal of the championships went to Russia’s Larisa Ilchenko, who repeated as the women’s 5K champion. Ilchenko, who finished with a time of 1:00:41.3, also won gold in the 5K at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal. Russian teammate Ekaterina Seliverstova won the silver (1:00:43.6). Australia’s Kate Brookes-Peterson, who led for most of the race, was the bronze medalist (1:00:47.6).

Gingrich popped out to a quick lead, and roommate Sutton moved into second place through the first lap. However, the two could not sustain the pace, or the physicality of the race. At the first turn in the second lap, both got jostled by a fellow competitor and lost a goggle, which set them back.

“Nationals and Pan Pacs seemed like dual meets compared to this,” Sutton said. “It was a lot more physical, a lot faster, everyone was speeding up and slowing down at different times. It was very unpredictable.

“I definitely felt like a rookie when I was swimming it, but it does give me some more experience under my belt, and I’ll be more confident next time I swim.

Gingrich, who is competing on her third international trip with Sutton, will certainly take a few lessons from her first open water race.

“Going off the block, I expected people to be out a lot faster than they were, which is why I was in first place for the first lap,” Gingrich said. “I was expecting a lot of elbows, and I didn’t get that. I got drowned a couple of times instead.

“I’m happy with the race, considering it was my first time. I can’t really be upset with anything.”

On the men’s side, Americans Scott Kaufmann (Sparks, Nev. / Reno Aquatic Club) and Mark Warkentin (Santa Barbara, Calif. / Santa Barbara Swim Club) fought their way to a top-20 finish, placing 15th and 17th respectively. Kaufmann posted a time of 57:36.9, while Warkentin finished in 57:39.5.

Germany’s Thomas Lurz also repeated as the men’s 5K champion, winning with a time of 56:49.6. Evgeny Drattsev of Russia captured the silver medal in 56:50.7, while Greek Olympian Spyridon Gianniotis held on for the bronze (56:56.6).

The winds picked up and the water became much choppier during the men’s race, but it was more the physicality of the beginning of the race that proved to be the challenge for Kaufmann and Warkentin.

“That wasn’t a swim race, that was a wrestling match,” Warkentin said. “I was right in the mix of it on the first two turns. Trying to fight my way out of that really took a lot out of me, both physically and emotionally. I don’t think I was prepared for that physical of a competition.

“I was a little too conservative, trying not to lead because we had talked so much previously about not leading the race early on. But at the same time, if you’ve got 40 guys, and every coach is telling their guys to be second and none of them to be first, then you’ve got a problem.”

Kaufmann said the race strategy for the men’s 10K on Wednesday will be similar.

“I’m not sure that the pace is going to be quite as quick on the first quarter as it was today, but it’s going to be four laps just like this one was,” Kaufmann said. “Probably the same number of people, and the same group of people as this race. We’ll see the same guys up front.”

Open water racing resumes Tuesday with the women’s 10K, which was added to the Olympic program beginning with the 2008 Games in Beijing. Sutton and Olympian Kalyn Keller (Phoenix, Ariz. / Club Wolverine) will compete for Team USA.

More on the 2007 FINA World Championships - Melbourne, 17 March - 1 April 2007 - Including links to full results.

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