Most of the entrants had really serious preparations, for instance Jan Graefe can just as well be counted a professional as he trains 20-25 hours a week! Racing in the 40-44 age group – and finishing runner-up –, the German proudly said: “Swimming plays a very important role in my life. I swim 20-25 hours a week. I put my family first and sport second.”
Fellow German Helmut Hertelendy was not a competitive swimmer, he took up the sport at the age of 20, then he had a longer spell with alpine skiing but a couple of accidents forced him to return to the pool where he trains six times a week (swimming 4-5km daily) and now the 65-year old is a Masters world champion. It’s understandable as he added: “I don’t even watch TV; nothing distracts me from swimming.”
Open Water venue, Kazanka River (Kazan, Russia) Photo: Press Department of Organising Committee
for 16th FINA World Championshipsr 16th FINA World Championships
Here in Kazan, he was really satisfied with the organisation of the event. As he put it: “Amazing! The best competitions I've ever taken part in. I arrived in Kazan at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and only one hour later, around 3, I already received my accreditation badge. It is awesome!”
Mr. Hertelendy also watched the “big event”, he attended the swimming finals on one day, labelling the experience “really breath-taking”, thus a kind of underlining how great this FINA initiative is. The pairing of the two events can bring the true lovers of the aquatic disciplines together, the Masters can enjoy the greatest actions at the World Championships, before contesting their own events.