Swimming: Canada kicks off FINA World Championships with open water swimming 5km

ROME – Philippe Dubreuil of Sherbrooke, Que., and Zsofia Balazs of Toronto lead a six-member Canadian team in the open water swimming events at the world aquatic championships.

“The Open water events will be a great way to kick off the FINA Worlds for Canada,” said Pierre Lafontaine, CEO and National Coach. “You will be seeing lots of great distance pool swimmers crossing over to the open water events. The competition is getting stronger and our swimmers have shown great strength internationally, so we’re quite excited.”

Last month, Dubreuil, 27, earned his first career international victory at the U.S., Open Water world championship trials in the men’s 10 kilometre. He is set to swim both the five kilometre and 10 kilometre in Rome.

Also on the men’s open water team are David Creel, 28, of Victoria and Simon Tobin, 24, of Ste-Foy, Que. Creel has battled back from an elbow injury to qualify for the team in both the five and 10 kilometre events. Before this season, Creel hadn’t raced in open water since October 2007.

Tobin gained a lot of confidence with his 10th place finish in the 10 kilometre at the U.S., Open trials and is scheduled to swim the event in Rome.

While the men’s team is very experienced, Canada’s three swimmers in the women’s event are under-20. Zsofia Balazs, 19, of Toronto is already a young veteran in the sport and she is joined by Bridget Coley of Hamilton and Nadine Williams of Sherwood Park, Alta., both 16. Balazs won the first ever Canadian National 10k championships in 2006 and has been a strong force in the Open water distance events.

Balazs is scheduled to race the five and 10 kilometre events and will be joined by Coley in the five kilometre and Williams in the 10 kilometre.

The men’s and women’s five kilometre is on Sunday (July 19), the women’s 10 kilometre is on July 21, the men’s 10 kilometre on July 22, the women’s 25 kilometre on July 23 and the men’s 25 kilometre on July 25.

Pool events start on Sunday, July 26.