Weinberger Named Among FINA’s Top 2012 Swimmers

Original article from Swimming Canada

OTTAWA – Richard Weinberger of Victoria has been named one of the world’s top five open water swimmers by FINA for the 2012 season.
 
The Olympic bronze medallist in the 10-kilometre race in London ranked fifth in FINA’s men’s open water swimming. Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia was first, followed in order by Thomas Lurz of Germany, Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece and Trent Grimsey of Australia.
 
The 22-year-old Weinberger had made a name for himself heading into the London Games. He won the Olympic test event at Hyde Park in 2011 just a few weeks before his triumph at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. During the 2012 World Cup season, Weinberger collected a silver in Argentina, and bronze in Brazil.
 
He qualified for the Canadian Olympic team in Portugal in June 2012, by placing second in the men’s 10-km marathon behind Mellouli. That race in Portugal was also memorable because within the first 200 metres, Weinberger ripped off a bothersome cap and accidently lost his goggles at the same time. He was forced to stop and put on his goggles back on, which put him in last place early in the race.
 
Also honored by FINA was British photographer Ian MacNicol, who photographs Canadian swimmers at major world events. He was awarded the Best Photo of 2012 for his picture of South African Chad Le Clos. MacNicol shot the Olympics, Paralympics, and most recently the World Swimming Championships (25m) for Canada. His work is featured prominently on Swimming Canada’s Facebook page.

FINA honoured the best of 2012 in a variety of categories in its Aquatics World Magazine. An enhanced digital edition of the magazine is available online at http://fina.wildom.com/fina/edir/fina_aquatics_magazine_free_2013_01/index.html

The digital edition features embedded video content featuring various athletes and events. FINA plans to expand the digital edition in future issues with bonus interviews of athletes, coaches, officials, and leaders of aquatic sport.