One by one, the tanned female swimmers walk onto the blue starting platform. It is 6:30 a.m. in the Tokyo bayfront area of Odaiba, in the shadow of the Rainbow Bridge. Their caps and goggles in place, the 25 competitors gird for the race as they stand in a horizontal line.
It is the women's open water event, an endurance contest of 10 kilometers that is regarded as the marathon of swimming. The race will last about two hours, about the same as the 42.195-kilometer marathon run on land.
However, it is far more grueling than its road-running cousin. The competitors are crowded together in the water, with the kicks and elbows being thrown about making it look like a martial arts competition. They also have to contend with waves and currents of the natural ocean. Then there are the occasional jellyfish stings.
As in the marathon, the swimmers rehydrate during the race, but they have to grab their bottle from the pole held out by team staff. Of course, they have to drink while swimming. Many swimmers opt to turn over and do the backstroke as they replenish their fluids.
In the dawn following a hot night, a warm sea breeze blows in from Tokyo Bay. A trumpet-like gun sounds to start the race. Like a flock of penguins diving into the sea, the battle begins in the hunt for the top spot.
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