Alex Meyer is in today's race!
His name on the official start list drew a lot of interest and drama in the open water world as he's still recovering from a broken collarbone.
Mike Lewis, our man on the beach, said, “…he's doing it, and he has a big scar on his shoulder.”
This adds some much-needed star-power to the men's race after many big names, like Chip Peterson, dropped out of the race.
This seems like an interesting risk, but must be an indication that Meyer's collarbone is pretty close to healed. I would still expect that he'll do a lot of drafting in this race and try not to get too bunched up in any of the turns.
Meyer already has the Olympic spot for London locked up, thanks to his 4th-place finish at last year's World Championships. No other Americans will have an opportunity to qualify in the men's race.
Live video webcast is available here.