Chrissie Wellington’s Open Water Guide Pt 5/5: Sighting

Issue ID: July 2012

Sighting in the open water is infinitely more tricky than in a crystal clear pool. But with Chrissie’s tips for a straight swim, you’ll have no excuse for going off course…

All swimmers should be able to periodically ‘sight’ or ‘spot’ to make sure they’re heading in the right direction.

In open water, you could simply follow the bubbles of the feet in front of you, but you’re placing your trust in them to go the right way, so to sight you need a ‘marker’. This can be one of the race buoys or a tall, visible and immovable landmark, which you’d have identified prior to the race.

In a pack and/or in choppy conditions it’s often easier to sight these land-based markers than the smaller buoys to keep yourself on track. If you’re swimming in a river/canal, you can sight the shore/towpath as part of your normal stroke to keep you on course.

It takes a bit of skill and practice to be able to do it well, but efficient sighting technique and the ability to swim in a straight line can make a huge difference to your swim time. The world’s best triathletes and open-water swimmers can sight without disrupting the rhythm of their stroke or their body position in the water.

HOW OFTEN?

If you naturally swim straight you can sight every 12-15 strokes. If you have a little more trouble swimming straight you should sight more frequently, say every seven to nine strokes.

Sometimes the initial sight gives you only a rough idea of where you’re headed, so practising taking two sights on successive strokes is useful. The second sighting allows you to hone in on the point you’re looking for.

Another element that effects how often you sight is the weather. If the water is calm with minimal glare you can sight less as the visibility will be greater and it’ll be easier to see the markers. However, if there are high winds and the water is choppy, the markers are going to be more difficult to see.

If you sight in the trough of a wave you may not be able to glimpse the buoy/marker and may need to take another look after a couple more strokes. If it’s choppy you may need to lift your head slightly higher, but this will result in your legs sinking slightly. Counteract this by kicking slightly more.

HOW TO SIGHT

1. Press down lightly on the water with your lead arm, and lift your head slightly above the goggle line just before you want to take a breath.

2. Look forward as you lower it.

3. Then turn your head to the side to breathe.

CHRISSIE’S TOP TIP
Don’t try to breathe and sight at the same time, otherwise you’ll lift your head too high and your hips and legs will drop. It’s equally important to not lift your head up for too long. The sight-turn-breathe technique should be quick, smooth and fluid, as opposed to three separate movements, to ensure you can maintain your stroke and rhythm.

About

Chrissie Wellington OBE is a retired, British professional triathlete and four-time Ironman world champion. She held all three world and championship records relating to ironman triathlon races: firstly, the overall world record, secondly, the Ironman World Championship course record, and thirdly, the official world record for all Ironman-branded triathlon races over the full Ironman distance. She remains the world record holder for Ironman distance (8:18hrs). Chrissie won the Ironman World Championship in three consecutive years (2007–2009), but could not start the 2010 World Championship race because of illness. She regained the title in 2011. She is the first British athlete to hold the Ironman world title, and was undefeated in all 13 of her races over the Iron distance. She is the only triathlete, male or female, to have won the World Championship less than a year after turning professional, an achievement described by the British Triathlon Federation as "a remarkable feat, deemed to be a near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships." Since retiring in 2012 Chrissie has completed countless endurance events, from cycling sportives, to marathons and ultra-marathons and even a cross country ski marathon or two! Chrissie was awarded a first-class degree by the University of Birmingham (BsC Geography) in 1998 and a Distinction from the University of Manchester (MA Econ Development Studies) in 2000. Prior to becoming a professional athlete in 2007, she worked for the British Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a policy adviser on international development and also managed water and sanitation projects in Nepal. Chrissie now devotes her life to work to improve individual and population health and wellbeing, and specifically interventions to increase participation in physical activity. She is the Global Lead for Health and Wellbeing for parkrun and is committed to engaging people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities in parkrun events, thereby addressing the entrenched health and wellbeing inequalities that impact many countries across the world. Chrissie published her Sunday Times Best Selling autobiography, 'A Life Without Limits', in 2012, and her second book, 'To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete's Guide to Your Perfect Race', in 2017. In 2021, she co-authored and published two fully-illustrated children's wellbeing storybooks with friend and former athlete Susie Bush-Ramsey entitled 'You're so strong' and 'You're so amazing', as a means of sharing messages about belief, trust, love, friendship, trying your best and embracing change. A trailblazer at heart, Chrissie is often advocating for change. In 2014 she joined three professional cyclists in campaigning for and successfully creating a women’s race at the Tour De France. Chrissie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to sport and charity. She was also named the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year and has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Birmingham and the University of Bristol. Chrissie lives with her husband, former professional athlete Tom Lowe, and their daughter Esme in a small village in Somerset.