In addition to superstar swimmers Thomas Lurz and Keri-Anne Payne and all their elite competitors, supermodel Jodie Kidd and British TV celebrity Vernon Kay will take part in the Great London Swim on July 3rd.

In a break from open water swimming’s traditionalist past, the televised Great London Swim, a mile swim in the heart of the capital at the Royal Victoria Dock, is requiring its participants to wear wetsuits – which didn’t seem too much of a problem to the sold-out field of 5,000.

The men’s elite swimmers include Thomas Lurz (GER), the British Gas Great London Swim defending champion, Olympic bronze 10K and 8-time world champion, David Davies (GBR), the Olympic 10K silver and 1500-meter bronze medalist, Jan Wolfgarten (GER), the reigning European 1500-meter champion, James Goddard (GBR), the 200 individual medley European champion and Commonwealth Games 200 backstroke champion, Ky Hurst (AUS), the 7-time times Australian Ironman champion, Brendan Capell (AUS), the 2004 world 25K champion, Peter Stoychev (BUL), the 3-time world bronze medalist and English Channel record holder, Tom Vangeneugden (BEL), 2008 Olympian, Dan Fogg (GBR), world championship swimmer and runner-up at the 2009 British Gas Great London Swim, Pal Joensen (FAR), triple European junior medalist and Loic Branda (FRA), 5-time French national 5K/10K champion.

The women’s elite field includes Olympic 10K silver medalist and 10K world champion Keri-Anne Payne (GBR), Olympic 10K bronze medalist and 2-time world 10K silver medalist Cassie Patten (GBR), British Gas Great London Swim defending champion Katy Whitfield (GBR) and European championship swimmer Kaleigh Dawson (GBR).

But none of the swimmers have the fashion cover experience of Jodie Kidd, who will also serve as the race’s honorary starter: Elle, L’Officiel, Vogue, Glamour, Gloss, The Face, Tatler and Harper’s & Queen.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones