Photos courtesy of Dr. Jim Miller.

With the long-running heated rivalries among American women to become USA Swimming representatives at international competitions, there is plenty of close competition and physicality between Haley Anderson, Ashley Twichell, Becca Mann, Eva Fabian, Christine Jennings, Lindsay Vrooman, Kaitlin Pawlowicz, Tristin Baxter, Emily Brunemann, Stephanie Peacock and others.

That kind of tough-nosed competition, gutsy mid-race surges, and no-love-lost physicality prepares the women extraordinarily well for international competitions where shoulder-to-shoulder racing, tactics and lots of physicality are the name of the game to get on the podium.

Upper photo shows start of FINA/HOSA 10K Marathon Swim World Cup race in Cozumel, Mexico. Lower photo show podium finish with Ana Marcela Cunha, Haley Anderson and Aurora Ponsele.

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