Road to Paris: Marathon Swimming Contenders to Watch

The marathon swimming competition at the Paris Olympics features top athletes like defending champion Florian Wellbrock, Kristof Rasovszky, and Sharon van Rouwendaal. Storylines include water quality in the Seine River and the events' key dates. The competition promises intense battles and memorable moments against the backdrop of Parisian landmarks.

The marathon swimming competition at the Paris Olympics is set to be a thrilling event, with athletes like defending champion Florian Wellbrock of Germany poised to make waves. Wellbrock, who secured his spot with a victory at the 2023 world championships, aims to achieve a double win in both the pool and open water events in Paris.

Hungary's Kristof Rasovszky, who took silver behind Wellbrock at the Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 world championships, is also a key contender. Meanwhile, Sharon van Rouwendaal from the Netherlands, a gold medalist in Rio and silver medalist in Tokyo, is in top form after winning her second world title in three years.

A major storyline to watch is the water quality of the Seine River. Following a $1.5 billion investment in water quality improvement, organizers have backup plans in place should E. coli levels be unsafe. The open water events will take place on August 8-9, with men's and women's races covering a 10-kilometer course starting and finishing at Pont Alexandre III.

(With inputs from agencies.)