World Champion Keri-anne Payne has been announced FINA Athlete of the Year for women’s Open Water after her impressive summer performance.

The best nine Athletes of the Year 2011 were selected by FINA for its five aquatic disciplines. FINA collected votes from its 202 National Member Federations, media and aquatic experts. Payne was recognised for her achievements at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai where she dominated the two-hour long 10km Open Water race.

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Fastest person to swim the English Channel, Peter Stoychev (Bulgaria) won the Men’s 25km race in 5:10:39.8. Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia) was 35.8 seconds behind in 5:11:15.6 and Csaba Gercak (Hungary) third in 5:11:18.1. The water temperature hit 31 degrees.

In the Women’s 25km race, Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil) won gold in 5:29:22.9. Angela Maurer (Germany) was 2.1 seconds behind on 5:29:25.0 for the silver and Alice Franco (Italy) was third in 5:29:30.8.

Swann Oberson (SUI) won the sprint finish to secure Women’s 5km gold medal in 1:00:39.7. Aurelie Muller (FRA) was second in 1:00:40.1 and Ashley Grace Twichell (USA) third in 1:00:40.2.

Thomas Lurz (GER) won the Men’s 5km in 56:16.6 with 10km winner Spyros Gianniotis (GRE) second in 56:17.4 0.8 and Evgeny Drattsev (RUS) third 56:18.5.

OK, we’re not always dressed for the fashion catwalks at East Dorset Open Water Swimming Club training sessions. The latest video update from the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai shows what we’re missing, taking in the Speedo fashion shows at the city’s Sogo department store, the thoughts of fans at the Oriental Sports Center, plus an exclusive chat with Great Britain’s Keri-anne Payne after her triumph in the 10km Open Water event.

Britain’s open water swimmers Dan Fogg and Tom Allen showed determination and grit as they battled their way through the Men’s 10km event at the World Championships in Shanghai in slightly cooler conditions.

Gold went to Spyros Goanniotis of Greece in 1.54:24.7, Thomas Lurz of Germany took silver in 1.54:27.2 and Sergey Bolshakov of Russia was third in 1.54:31.8. Fogg finished 15th in 1:54:46.9 with Allen 26th on 1:55:37.4.

British swimmer Keri-anne Payne led throughout to retain her World Championship 10km title in Shanghai.

Payne touched in 2.01:58.1 with Italy’s 2010 FINA Open Water 10km World Champion Martina Grimaldi taking the silver in 2.01:59.9 and Marianna Lymperta of Greece took the bronze in 2.02:01.8.

Events are underway at the 2011 FINA World Championships, but not all swimming takes place in the pool. Competitors head into the open water for action at Jinshan City Beach in Shanghai on Tuesday 19 July.

The host team, China, did its official training at the venue on Thursday morning. The open water races include 5k, 10k and 25k events. The swimmers held a half-hour practice to get used to the temperature and the environment. They had trained in rivers and lakes for the past month, and now worked to complete the transition from swimming in freshwater to sea-water before the 5 days of competition begin.

The Olympic silver medallist has been in the form of her life this season, smashing four personal bests and clocking a British record at the British Gas Championships in March before sealing her spot in the open water race in China with victory in the LEN Open Water Cup in Eilat, Israel this month.

“I know I can’t sit at home and rest and think I’ve done the hard work - it just doesn’t work like that”.

17 Apr 1984 – 23 Oct 2010

With immense sadness, FINA and the worldwide aquatic community are mourning the loss of open water swimmer Fran Crippen (USA), who passed away after falling unconscious during the last leg of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup, held in Fujairah (UAE), on 23 October 2010.