July 15, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - Erica Rose, who will be a senior at Northwestern in the fall, had the honor of carrying the American flag Saturday at the opening ceremonies of the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
Rose is entered in the 10K open water race on Wednesday. She earned her spot at the World Championships by winning her second straight national 10K crown in June.
Thirty-five swimmers from 20 countries are entered in the women's race, and 36 swimmers from 23 countries are entered in the men's race. Overall, nearly 120 swimmers will participate in the three open-water swimming events this week, with the crowds along the popular Barcelona beaches estimated to reach 300,000.
The U.S. Open Water Team arrived in Barcelona on July 9, taking time to get accustomed to the time change and train on the nearby beaches. Before the opening ceremonies, the U.S. team had the opportunity to meet some of their colleagues from the other 164 participating countries, including the contingent from Iraq.