Any great pre-race quotes from the athletes?
David Davies of the UK: “You are all swimming in a pack and you don’t have a lane to yourself so it is a very physical sport and you do swim on top of each other and get the odd fist in the face and that sort of thing. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia: “It was also very physical. They’ve put in the big turning buoys which are not convenient. While you go around, you get hit and there’s lots of contact. My goggles have come off twice before at world championship events and I had to stop to fix them.” Yanqiao Fang of China: “The world champions are not that much stronger than me. I understand being physically strong is important. You don’t have your own lane, instead you fight to keep on course. It’s like a battle in the water.” Cassandra Patten of the UK: “You’ve got 20-30 girls in close proximity and normally I’ll give them ‘three strikes’. I’ll let the first two go but if I get hit a third time I might give them one back. I can look after myself. ‘Th
