Fortunately, terrorism was averted at the highly successful and dramatic 2012 London Olympic Games. The prior planning of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games was brilliant especially for sports like the marathon swim which was open to the public in a very public venue.

But terrorists were not the only individuals who the authorities were looking for.

On the Olympic marathon swimming course, there were two police boat squads with a trained protestor action force who were responsible for removing any protestors, pirate swimmers or attention seekers before, during and after the triathlon races or marathon swims in the Serpentine.

They were outfitted with diving gear and had practiced taking such interlopers out the water and out of the venue as quickly and quietly as possible (via high-speed boats).

Copyright © 2012 by World Open Water Swimming Association