McGlynn and Weber claim titles at aQuellé Midmar Mile

The elite races at the aQuellé Midmar Mile saw Durban swimmer Michael McGlynn successfully defending the title he claimed for the first time last year, while Olympian Michelle Weber regained the crown she last held in 2016.

Conditions at Midmar Dam, just outside Howick in KwaZulu-Natal, were ideal as the mist lifted to reveal glassy, flat water on the 1.6km course. Tackling a field of 20 other top-ranked women, Weber powered to the front from the start, hitting every hot spot at 400m, 800m and 1 200m comfortably.

Defending champion Robyn Kinghorn went well wide and it cost her, while 18-year-old Tori Earle followed Weber’s lead.

The Rio Olympian cruised to victory untroubled, finishing in 19 minutes and 40 seconds, with Earle second in 19 minutes and 55 seconds and Carli Antonopoulos taking third in 20 minutes and 12 seconds.

“It went very well. I saw the conditions were flat and I decided I’m going to dive off the pontoon, just take a few easy strokes, and get the feel of the whole vibe of the day. Then after that, I just put my head down and went and got faster and faster. It was a good race, I’m happy.

“I wasn’t sure where everyone else was or how far they were behind me. I did see someone on the very righthand side, Kinghorn. but I just said to myself: ‘No, it’s fine, I’m just going to keep going’.

“You don’t want to get too tense in open water because there’s so much going on and there’s the fear of the dark water. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed. You just have to stay calm, enjoy it and have fun and do your best. That’s all you can do.”

Weber’s last victory in 2016 also came in an Olympic year, and with the 24-year-old looking to qualify for the Tokyo Games, she was thrilled with Sunday’s win.

“It’s so strange because I won it in 2016, which was an Olympic year, and then I didn’t win it last year so it was like a weird superstition thing. Now the Olympics have moved to this year so I’m very happy that I won this year, it’s just a mental thing.”

McGlynn certainly felt the same pressure as he dived in as defending champion in the men’s race. Following a similar pattern to the women’s, he led from start to finish, hitting all the hot spots and crossing the line in 17 minutes and 55 seconds.

The tussle for the other places was a much fiercer one. Danie Marais finished in 18 minutes and 25 minutes and 18-year-old Connor Buck in third six seconds later.

“The pressure was huge. It’s very different coming here the second time and trying to win compared to when you have no title and you’ve got nothing to lose,” said McGlynn. “But God gave me the strength and I just kept the faith that I would not fall apart and just keep it together.

“This race is becoming more of a sprint. I’m not looking for any records or anything like that but it’s great to defend and walk away happy. It’s great to have the pressure off.”

Not since Chad Ho’s incredible run from 2010 to 2016 has there been a back-to-back winner of the men’s race, and McGlynn was thrilled to be the first since then.