It can be a grind churning through open water. But that didn't hold back Richard Weinberger and Aimeson King, both of Victoria, who recorded a top-10 placing Thursday with Zsofi Balazs of Toronto in the new 5K team relay event at the 2011 world aquatics championships in Shanghai.
"All the races [individual 10K and 5K events and relay] are pretty close together and we knew it was going to be a challenge with the series of races," said Weinberger, who was 17th in the men's individual 10K on Wednesday.
"But we're all doing the same thing. Together we're good."
Weinberger, 21, swims for Ron Jacks in the Pacific Coast Club while the 20-year-old King is coached by Aaron Dahl of the Island Swim Club.
The venerable Victoria swim mentor Jacks is in Shanghai as head coach of the Canadian open-water team.
The team event is clocked like a time trial with swimmers starting at one-minute intervals. The U.S. won gold, Australia silver and Germany bronze.
"We're really excited. We were one of the youngest teams in the field and there's room to grow," said King, in a beach-side interview via Victoriabased Sendtonews, which has scored a major coup at the worlds and is providing the service to the world media.
Meanwhile, goalie Rachel Riddell of Victoria and the Canadian women's water polo team moved to 3-0 in Pool B and clinched a quarter-final berth after beating New Zealand 11-4.
Canada won bronze in the synchronized swimming team combination event. The Canadian team, which will be at Saanich Commonwealth Place next year for the 2012 nationals, all hails from Quebec.
Louise Kennedy of Brentwood Bay is the lone Canadian judge selected for the synchronized competitions at the worlds in Shanghai.
There was a close call in diving Thursday when Meaghan Benfeito of Montreal placed fourth on the women's platform.
Olympian Riley McCormick of Victoria begins his quest on the men's platform Saturday.
Beijing Olympic bronze-medallist 1,500metre freestyler Ryan Cochrane of Victoria begins his bid for golden glory when the swimming competitions commence Sunday. Joining the lanky emerging world star Cochrane will be six Victoria Swim Academy teammates, including Julia Wilkinson and Stefan Hirniak looking to build on their medal breakthroughs from last year at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
