LONDON (Reuters) – Open water world champion Keri-Anne Payne has swum next to shark nets, dead dogs and dinner-plate sized jellyfish, so the Olympic competition alongside a few ducks in the Serpentine will seem tame by comparison.

Following a dip in the lake in central London’s Hyde Park, a favorite haunt for swans and recreational swimmers enjoying a refreshing workout before heading to the office, Payne said she was pleasantly surprised by her first splash in the venue that will host the 10km open water events.

LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) – Open water world champion
Keri-Anne Payne has swum next to shark nets, dead dogs and
dinner-plate sized jellyfish, so the Olympic competition
alongside a few ducks in the Serpentine will seem tame by
comparison.

Following a dip in the lake in central London’s Hyde Park, a
favourite haunt for swans and recreational swimmers enjoying a
refreshing workout before heading to the office, Payne said she
was pleasantly surprised by her first splash in the venue that
will host the 10km open water events.

LONDON (Reuters) – British swimmer James Goddard may have become an unwilling participant in a fierce debate on Wednesday, just who had the best Olympic performance in Beijing four years ago? American swimmer Michael Phelps or Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt?

The debate has raged between pundits for four years over whether Bolt’s three gold medals in the athletics, all in world record times, or Phelps’ record eight golds was the performance people would discuss in 100 years.

LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) – British swimmer James Goddard
may have become an unwilling participant in a fierce debate on
Wednesday, just who had the best Olympic performance in Beijing
four years ago? American swimmer Michael Phelps or Jamaican
sprinter Usain Bolt?

The debate has raged between pundits for four years over
whether Bolt’s three gold medals in the athletics, all in world
record times, or Phelps’ record eight golds was the performance
people would discuss in 100 years.

LYTHAM ST ANNES, England (Reuters) – Lytham head pro Eddie Birchenough, who has seen four British Opens pass through his gates, lives and breathes links golf and wants to see more of it to test the world’s best players.

After 25 years at the Lancashire course that hosted its 11th British Open last week, Birchenough retires at the end of the year and told Reuters that links-style golf needed to be embraced, not feared.