Competition and camaraderie often go hand-in-hand in the open water.

This weekend, the top Australians and New Zealanders successfully raced together at the 2010 Australian Open Water Swimming Championships where the Australian world championship team was selected.

America and Canada will similarly hold joint selection races at the USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships this June.

These instances of friendly foes sharing the waterways of the world point to the camaraderie and collegiality that are commonly seen in the world of open water swimming.

Photo shows Marine Stadium where the American and Canadian teams will select their world championship representatives.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones