Adventure News: 3 River Mile Champions ready for Olympics

Adventure News: 3 River Mile Champions ready for Olympics - Ndorfin, South Africa

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Wednesday, 08 August 2012
3 River Mile Champions ready for Olympics

Jessica at the Ocean Racing Series (Photo Courtesy Zports)

The three 2012 Redhouse River Mile Champions are about to make Olympic history as PE's first ever open water swimmer, Jessica Roux, takes to the waters of Hyde Park's Serpentine in London tomorrow afternoon.

Roux, a former Collegiate High School head girl and current Redhouse River Mile Ladies Champion is joined by River Mile Men's Champion Troyden Prinsloo in the Team SA at the London 2012 Olympics whilst River Mile Disabled winner, Kevin Paul, heads the countries medal hopes in the Paralympic Games which take place immediately after the Olympic Games.

With eyes firmly set on the 2016 Olympics, Jess earned a 2012 Olympic call-up after dethroning SA open water swimming legend Natalie Du Toit at an international meet in Portugal earlier in the year. Its a bit surreal but an exciting moment in my career. said Roux who moved to Durban to train under National Swim Coach Graham Hill for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Roux became keen on her open water swimming after taking part in the 2006 Nelson Mandela Bay Ocean Racing Series, an event which she dominated till moving to Durban at the end of 2010.

Open water swimming is a very unpredictable sport and Roux will be keen to gain as much experience as possible in tomorrows 10km race in what is considered her bonus Olympics. A top 20 finish will put this young South African swimmer in a great position to springboard onto the World open water swimming circuit ahead of the 2016 Olympics

Jessica with Novak Djokovic at the Olympic Opening Ceremony (Photo Courtesy Zports)