Two-time Olympic medalist Thomas Lurz (Germany, MSF bio here, World Aquatics bio here) once shared some insights into his successful racing tactics that resulted in 59 international podium finishes over his lengthy career, “I very often think of and look at my rivals. I watch their stroke frequency and find out where the big favourites are swimming. Mostly I can see every good swimmer in the race. I have my eyes on them, but I also concentrate on my stroke and on the course and my tactics.”

Those tactics included:

• drafting
• negative splitting
• dolphining
• positioning
• railroading
• shooting the gap
• veering
• The Ilchenko

But in the open water swimming world, there are also many other moves and tactics, including:

• bodysurfing
• impeding
• sheltered-side breathing
• slip streaming
• zip lining
• self-screening
• side-dolphining
• dive turning
• Lateral Laze
• Tack ‘n Turn
• Circle Move
• Seek and Spot
• Reach and Roll
• Gulp and Go
• Toss and Turn
• physicality

Betlehem Blast

With the advent of the 3 km Knockout Sprints at the World Championships and World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup series, open water races are becoming even more tactical and close.

This season during the World Cup series, Olympic 10K Marathon Swim bronze medalist David Betlehem (21, Hungary, MSF bio here, World Aquatics bio here, @betlehemdavid, shown below on left) used an unconventional start to gain an important edge against his competitors.

He used the Betlehem Blast where he quickly undulated underwater from the floating start pontoons [see photo above]. After diving into the water, his competitors used conventional race starts and started to swim normally while Betlehem kicking powerfully and repeatedly in the horizontal position with outstretched locked arms right from the start about 20 meters, gaining a significant body-length advantage.

The Betlehem Blast is the open water swimming version of the Berkoff Blast used in the pool by competitive swimmers after starts and turns, invented by American backstroke Olympic champion David Berkoff (shown below on right).

3 km Knockout Sprints Results

Betlehem used his signature Betlehem Blast to win the 3 km Knockout Sprints at the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup serie finale at the beautiful venue at Golfo Aranci on the Sardinian coast of Italy today.

He also swam the third leg in he 4x1500m Mixed Relay for Hungary, winning a bronze medal earlier in the day. Yesterday, he won a close race in the 10 km, edging out French rival Logan Fontaine.

1. David Betlehem, 22, Hungary 6:00.50
2. Marc-Antoine Olivier, 29, France 6:04.00
3. Logan Fontaine, 26, France 6:05.70
4. Ziyang Zhang, 24, China 6:05.80
5. Dario Verani, 30, Italy 6:06.00
6. Davide Marchello, 23, Italy 6:07.70
7. Andrea Filadelli, 24, Italy 6:10.80
8. Bartosz Kapala, 19, Poland 6:11.60
9. Martin Straka, 24, Czech Republic 6:11.70
10. Mateo Garcia Castro, 20, Spain 6:14.10

10 km Top 10 Results

1. David Betlehem, 22, Hungary 1:53:28.20
2. Logan Fontaine, 26, France 1:53:31.60
3. Dario Verani, 30, Italy 1:53:32.40
4. Andrea Filadelli, 24, Italy 1:53:34.80
5. Sacha Velly, 20, France 1:53:35.20
6. Marcello Guidi, 28, Italy 1:53:35.40
7. Domenico Acerenza, 30, Italy 1:53:35.90
8. Ziyang Zhang, 24, China 1:53:36.00
9. Martin Straka, 24, Czech Republic 1:53:37.20
10. Giuseppe Ilario, 21, Italy 1:53:38.00

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