Larisa Ilchenko, 19, who won the inaugural Olympic gold in the women's 10km open-water event at the recent Beijing Olympics will be swimming at the East Coast Park for the Singapore leg of the Fina 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup.

Meeting the press after her practice swim at East Coast Park yesterday, she apologised in advance for her poor English, before trying gamely to describe her famous win in Beijing.

'The water was very hot and the weather was very hot, and the people who swam with me were very strong,' she recalled. 'It was a very difficult competition for me. But, after the race, there was great emotion and I was so happy (for myself) and my family.'

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