Italian's Sweep Open Water 5k

The Italians firmly planted their flag as Alina Valli (ITA) and Luca Baldini (ITA) each won their events decisively in the first event of the FINA World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. A third-place finish by Marco Formentini (ITA) capped a nearly perfect day in the hot and humid conditions in Hakata Bay. Today's competition marks the 10th anniversary of Open Water Swimming's introduction in the FINA programme and the Italian medals were the first and second of the new millenium.

The 29-year-old Valli avenged her third-place finish at the 5km Open Water World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii by finishing 26 seconds ahead of Peggy Busche (GER), the winner of the 5km event last November. A confident Valli said "I felt like I made a couple of mistakes, but it was a competiton against myself, and I was sure that I could win when I reached the first 300m," Australian Hayley Lewis (AUS) was a mere three seconds behind Busche as she captured the bronze medal. Lewis is scheduled to compete in the women's 1500 metre freestyle event at the Marine Messe pool on July 27. Busche explained: "Although I couldn't win two successive titles-Honolulu and here-I was satisfied with my silver medal."

The two Italian men grew up on the Mediterranean shores near Genoa and spent most of their lives in the sea. They train for open water swimming almost exclusively, which perhaps explains their success. Baldini's time of 55:37 was nearly a minute faster than that of the silver medalist Evgueni Bezroutchenko (RUS). Baldini, like Viola, also placed third in Honolulu and earned the gold medal in today's 5km competition. After the race Baldini told reporters: "I didn't have a plan, but at the first bouy I tried to make a gap between me and the other swimmers, and then I just kept going." Bezroutchenko, who was defending his world title won in Hawaii last November, explained his strategy: "I was following the pack until the turning point and then began picking up speed, and I was very pleased with the result of my finish." Italian teammate Formentini told reporters: "I was satisfied with the result, because I am 31 years old and this was my last chance to win a medal." Asked to explain the success of the Italian team, Baldini said: "We have a big heart and we believe in what we do."

A total of 104 athletes are competing in the open water swimming competition, representing 30 different nations. The 10km event for men and women will make its debut at the FINA World Swimming Championships on Wednesday. On Saturday the 25km event will be contested also starting from Momochihama Beach.

Italy's Secret of Success

Thousands of origamis-the traditional Japanese paper artwork-featuring the colours of the Italian flag (red, white and green), a gift of the staff of the municipal swimming pool in Hitakyushu, the site where the Italian open water swimming team has trained for the last five days prior to the competition, according to gold medallists Viola Valli and Luca Baldini, was the secret of the triumph of the Italian team. The origamis were accompanied by this message: "FUKUOKA 2001 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS-ITALY GO AND FIGHT."

That was exactly what the Italian pair did: go all out, racing ahead of the rest of the pack and win.

The Italian trio was at ease in a course prepared in the sea. Both Luca Baldini and Marco Formentini (the bronze medallist) were born and still live in the surroundings of Genoa, on the Riviera Ligure, and have grown up swimming along the shores of their hometown.

Formentini said: "We knew we had an edge racing in the sea rather than in a river or a lake". Baldini adds: "The sea was a bit rough; under those conditions I knew that I would have to get away very fast and be in the lead. Those behind you catch more waves." He did exactly the race he wanted to do: "I left the group before the 2.5 k buoy. The first half of the race race we swam against the current. In the second half we swam with it. I felt great and managed to increase my lead. I've never feared any opponent and it was so good winnning by nearly a minute.

"I felt comfortable in knowing that Luca was in the lead" Baldini said, "In fact I felt motivated to make the podium". Both Baldini, who will turn 25 on 10 October, and Formentini, who turned 31 on the 4th of July, have have remarkable careers.

Baldini won the bronze at the previous World Championships, and the bronze in last year's European championships and at the Honolulu's pre Worlds last October, in the same event; in Hawaii he also won the gold in the 25 k.

Both men belongs to the sporting clubs of two military corps: Baldini is a member of the Fiamme Gialle (Financial Police) while Formentini swims for the Carabinieri (Military Police).

Both men averaged a total of 80 k a week in training since Honolulu. They will now celebrate their medals, as their championships are over.

Not so for Viola Valli, 29, close to graduating in Anatomy. Viola, a brunette whose hair cut reminds that of the American movie star Demi Moore who played the main caracter in "Soldier Jane," also adopted Baldini's strategy: all out from the start and hold on for the finish. "I've told myself: ‘I have to bring them (her opponents) to hell and leave them there.’ My finish is usually terrible, I knew I should swim at a pace they couldn't keep up. I was succesful although I happened to nearly go to hell myself, I finished exausted."

Viola, who is an ever smiling nice young lady, said "I am tiny but I'm also very determined and have a positive spirit". At the university she has passed twelve exams related to psychology. She believes in mental preparation: "If your mental preparation is not good you cannot bring out all the potential of your physical preparation." Valli was born and still lives in Varese, on the shore of a lake whose waters are strangers to her, because of pollution. Since Honolulu she has trained an average of 20 k every day (10 on Saturdays, rest on Sundays, when not competing). Her preparation was aimed mainly to the 25 k, an event she adores (she won them in Honolulu and got a silver at Helsinki's Europeans last year) one she will swim on Saturday July 21. Unlike her teammates, after talking to the media, she has to delay celebrations until Saturday night as is hoping for a double victories. Meanwhile she has received a precious gift from her mother Emma (who watched her race here) had bought a while ago: a custom made pair of ear rings, star shaped, with diamonds. "She would give them to me only for a gold medal at the Worlds, or for my first baby-in which case she would have to wait a few more years".

The mastermind behind the Italian triumphs is national head coach Massimo Giuliani, a careful planner with a passion for computers.

Synchronized Swimming

The first Synchronized Swimming event got underway at 12 noon with the Technical Routine preliminaries. 30 competitors took part with Olga Brusnikina (RUS) leading this first round receiving the highest marks from the judges. Her Technical Merit marks were 9.9 from four judges and a perfect 10 from the fifth. For artistic impression her marks ranged from 9.8 to four 9.9s.

Miya Tachibana (JPN) in second with marks ranking from 9.7 to 9.8 and Virginie Dedieu (FRA) in third.

These three were on the podium three years ago in Perth, with Brusnikina the leading performer in the world currently in this sport.

The solo technical routine preliminaries are to last exactly two minutes as penalties are imposed if the routine exceeds or falls short of the time limit. Required elements have to performed in between movements with higher degrees of difficulty.

After tomorrow's solo free prelims the top 12 placed competitors will move to the finals on Thursday July 19.

The second preliminary was for Duet Technical at 6pm. With the world leading duo of Olga Brusnikina and Maria Kisseleva (who has retired) not contesting this event a new World Champion duet will emerge in Fukuoka.

A close battle looms as Russia's new duet team (Anastasia Davydova and Anastassia Ermakova and Japan's (Miya Tachibana and Miho Takeda) tied for first receiving with 34.300 each. The Japanese scores ranged from 9.7 to 9.8, while the Russians received 9.7s to 9.9.

The Canadian duet of Claire Carber-Dias and Fanny Letournea are in third with 33.740.

Duet routine in this techical preliminary has to be 2 min 20 seconds in duration. Once in the water all required elements must be performed simultaneously facing in the same direction. Synchronization of the two swimmers is the key.