COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nine open water swimmers will be heading to Yeosu, South Korea this July to represent Team USA at the 2019 FINA Open Water World Championships. Four different events — the 5k, 10k, 25k and 5k team relay — will take place from July 13-19, with athletes vying for World Championships medals as well as a chance to qualify for the 10k race at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.

Headlining the roster is the decorated open water trio of Jordan Wilimovsky (Malibu, Calif./Team Santa Monica), Haley Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif./Trojan Swim Club) and Ashley Twichell (Fayetteville, N.Y./TAC Titans). These U.S. National Team members have previously seen great success at the FINA Open Water World Championships, combining for 10 medals (five gold) between them.

Twichell shined at the 2017 FINA Open Water World Championships in Budapest, winning gold in the 5k, silver as part of the 5k relay team and a top-10 finish in the 10k. While Twichell has four medals in Open Water World Championships competition, she will be attempting to qualify for her first Olympic Games appearance, which she can do with a top-10 finish in the 10k in South Korea.

Also finishing top-10 at the 2017 FINA Open Water World Championships 10k was David Heron (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores). Like Twichell, Heron has excelled in open water competition in the past but will be searching for the first Olympic Games appearance of his career.

Making their first appearances at the event will be Katy Campbell (La Cañada, Calif./Team Santa Monica), Hannah Moore (Cary, N.C./Wolfpack Elite) Erica Sullivan (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada), Michael Brinegar (Columbus, Ind./Mission Viejo Nadadores) and Brennan Gravley (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada). 

The team was selected based on the results of May’s USA Swimming Open Water National Championships held in Miami, Florida.

The 2019 FINA Open Water World Championships will take place from July 13-14 and July 16-19 at the Yeosu EXPO Ocean Park in Yeosu, South Korea. 

USA Swimming also announced that Catherine Kase, the Associate Head Coach of USC’s Swimming & Diving program, will be the head coach of Team USA’s open water swimmers. Kase will be accompanied by a trio of Assistant Coaches: David Kelsheimer of Team Santa Monica, John Payne of TAC Titans and Bill Rose of Mission Viejo Nadadores.

2019 FINA Open Water World Championships Roster:

Haley Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif./Trojan Swim Club): 10k

Katy Campbell (La Cañada, Calif./Team Santa Monica): 25k

Hannah Moore (Cary, N.C./Wolfpack Elite): 5k

Erica Sullivan (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada): 25k

Ashley Twichell (Fayetteville, N.Y./TAC Titans): 5k, 10k

Michael Brinegar (Columbus, Ind./Mission Viejo Nadadores): 5k

Brennan Gravley (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada): 5k, 25k

David Heron (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores): 10k, 25k

Jordan Wilimovsky (Malibu, Calif./Team Santa Monica): 10k

Staff

Head Coach: Catherine Kase (USC Swimming & Diving)

Assistant Coach: David Kelsheimer (Team Santa Monica)

Assistant Coach: John Payne (TAC Titans)

Assistant Coach: Bill Rose (Mission Viejo Nadadores)

- usaswimming.org -