27 January 2025 – Up to 90km of training a week is what’s going into Carli Antonopoulos’s final preparations ahead of the aQuellé Midmar Mile which takes place in less than two weeks.
The 23-year-old finished second in last year’s race and while the swimmer who beat her to the title in 2024 – Tory Earle – will not be back to defend her title, Antonopoulos knows she will be provided a stiff challenge from the rest of this year’s elite women’s field.
Among them is two-time Olympic champion in the 10km marathon swim, Sharon van Rouwendaal from the Netherlands, who may have stopped training since topping the podium in Paris in August last year, but remains a massive threat.
Nevertheless, Antonopoulos remains confident in her preparation.
“My training and prep for Midmar has been going well,” she reckoned. “I’m back training with my squad in Pretoria after taking a short break and visiting my family in Cape Town.
“We have been putting in some good mileage, reaching up to 90km per week so hopefully the hard work will show at Midmar this year,” she added.
“I don’t really think much about the fact that I came second last year because this year is a new year with a bigger group of extremely talented girls so anything can happen on the day, but I feel confident with the work that we have done in the pool.”
Antonopoulos admitted that some of her main challengers could be her own teammates.
“I think this year the top five positions are going to be tough. Although Tory won’t be joining us this year, the TUKS distance group is bringing a strong group of girls and guys.
“I think my main competition this year will be Sharon van Rouwendaal, Stephanie Houtman, Callan Lotter and Catherine Van Rensburg,” she said.
“Sharon is an amazing swimmer and whether she’s been training or not, I still think she’ll give us a good go in the swim. She has done a lot of the Oceanman swims so she definitely still has loads of endurance and speed.”
While winning this year’s title would mean the world to her, the aQuellé Midmar Mile weekend is always about much more than just the competitive side for Antonopoulos.
“Midmar is such a fun event where it brings together so many friends and family,” she explained.
“My parents live in Cape Town and I’m currently swimming and studying in Pretoria so it’s always nice to just spend the weekend with my family. I get to watch my dad swim and he gets to watch me swim so it’s really nice to have the family support.”
Those still hoping to enter the aQuellé Midmar Mile, which takes place from 6-9 February, can do so at the dam on the day as online entries are now closed. Swimmers are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
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