They have heard all the jokes about ditching their Speedos in favour of biohazard suits.
No athletes in the 2016 Summer Olympics have been questioned more about water quality in Rio than the open-water swimmers.
Stephanie Horner from the Victoria Pacific Coast/University of Victoria Swim Club launched herself whole-heartedly and without reservation into the Games women鈥檚 open-water 10K Monday at Copacabana Beach and was seventh at mid-point before placing 23rd. Yet, she didn鈥檛 come out of the water glowing fluorescent purple in what has turned into the biggest non-issue of the Games. Thousands of beach-goers in Rio jump into the waters of Copacabana daily.
Horner was a pool swimmer in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics but switched to open water two years ago because, well, that鈥檚 just what they do in the Victoria Pacific Coast/UVic Swim Club under Ron Jacks.
鈥淩on [Jacks] has the most open-water experience in sa国际传媒, maybe in the world, actually,鈥� said UVic swim coach Peter Vizsolyi.
Richard Weinberger came out of the Victoria Pacific Coast/UVic Swim Club as a little-known open-water swimmer under Jacks and Vizsolyi to win a breakout bronze medal in the men鈥檚 10K at the 2012 London Olympics, and he goes for the Olympic podium again this morning in the Rio Summer Games.
鈥淩ichard is not as strong as in London, and has not swum great races recently, but he could definitely be in there racing for a medal,鈥� said Jacks. 鈥淭his is where experience counts.鈥�
And attitude.
鈥淚鈥檓 going for the gold and I鈥檓 not backing down,鈥� said Weinberger.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going for second or third. I鈥檓 completely capable of winning the gold.鈥�
Don鈥檛 count him out, said Vizsolyi, who coached Weinberger with the UVic Vikes, because this is one unique dude.
鈥淩ichard could be sick for six weeks but he pushes it out of his head and makes it not a true fact for him,鈥� said Vizsolyi. 鈥淗e never lets reality get in his way. I鈥檝e never seen anything like it.鈥�
And what about that non-issue? IOC and Canadian team medical personnel have heavily monitored the waters of Copacabana.
鈥淚 have no concerns about the water,鈥� said Jacks.
鈥淭here were test events in it last year and no one got sick. So, why this thing [making it a talking point]?鈥�
Horner, meanwhile, is a former CIS gold-medallist and first-team all-Canadian for the Vikes, who returned briefly to Beaconsfield, Que., after graduating from UVic in 2014, but was quickly back in Victoria because of the support structures here. The ripples created by Weinberger鈥檚 success, and the fact Jacks is in many ways the founder and godfather of Canadian open-water swimming, washed over her and Horner became a convert from the pool. And a good one, earning a spot as sa国际传媒's lone Olympic female open-water swimmer for the Rio Games.
鈥淭here鈥檚 waves, it鈥檚 salt water, there鈥檚 25 people, best of the best,鈥� Horner said in a statement Monday, following her Olympic race.
鈥淭his was my eighth race ever, I鈥檓 pretty new to this sport. It鈥檚 definitely progress. The goal was to stick with the front pack and be in the mix. I tried to stick with it but lost it a little bit.鈥�
The bilingual Horner graduated from UVic鈥檚 Peter B. Gustavson School of Business with a bachelor of commerce degree, specializing in service management and entrepreneurship. The 27-year-old is talented out of the water, as well. She placed second with her team in PlanIt, a business competition at UVic that awards seed money for venture start-ups. Once swimming ends, business seems to be in her future. But swimming may still beckon.
鈥淎 lot of people encouraged me to try open water,鈥� said Horner. 鈥淚t was not a sport that attracted me at first. I like challenges, so I said, 鈥榳hy not?鈥� It鈥檚 nice that I鈥檝e been able to succeed by representing sa国际传媒. It鈥檚 just a different mindset. I made progress so I鈥檓 encouraged to keep going with it. My coach back home, Ron Jacks, has taught me so much in the last year and a half. Four years from now [2020 Olympics] is a long time, but I am qualified to swim in the world championships next year in Budapest.鈥�
Defending world 10-K open water women鈥檚 champion Aur茅lie Muller of France, who trained in Victoria for six months with Jacks in 2014-15, was stripped of the silver medal in the Rio Olympic race Monday because officials ruled she pushed Rachele Bruni of Italy underwater in swimming over her body to touch the wall. Bruni was awarded the silver medal, Poliana Okimoto of Brazil the bronze and Muller disqualified.
鈥淚 am very disappointed with the decision,鈥� said Jacks.
鈥淎ur茅lie was going for the wall and had no place else to go. I would have given Bruni the silver and Aur茅lie the bronze.鈥�
Meanwhile, the Olympics can come down to something as capricious as a quivering high-jump bar. Unfortunately, it trembled then dropped, and the 2016 Rio Games were over Sunday night for Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay. The three-time Olympian and former world junior champion, who won bronze at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and silver at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games, made the final of the 2012 London Olympics but was unable to advance to today鈥檚 15-man high-jump final in Rio, by the narrowest of margins on countback.
That leaves Mason鈥檚 good friend and defending world champion Derek Drouin of Sarnia, Ont., as the lone Canadian jumper in tonight鈥檚 Olympic final.
鈥淚 will try to make the country proud. That鈥檚 all I can ask of myself,鈥� said Drouin.
