Many confirmed stars and revelations for the future will be present in Roberval.
In the 5km event, the man to beat is certainly Thomas Lurz (GER), the 2009 world champion in this distance (and in the 10km). But Allan do Carmo (BRA), Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE, second in Rome 2009), Chad Ho (RSA, third at the World Championships), the Russian experienced duet formed by Evgeny Drattsev and Daniil Serebrennikov, and Americans Francis Crippen and Chip Peterson will surely be strong challengers to Lurz’s supremacy. The situation is quite similar in the 10km, but in this race the field is still more balanced if we add Bulgaria’s Petar Stoychev or Italy’s Valerio Cleri. In the longer distance (25km), many new names appear on the start list, but the presence of Stoychev, Damian Blaum (ARG), Bertrand Venturi (FRA) or Rostislav Vitek (CZE) should assure an interesting race.
Among women, Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha and Poliana Okimoto are strong cards in the 5km and 10km, as well as Great Britain’s Keri-Anne Payne and Cassandra Patten (respectively silver and bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympics). Other potential medallists include Ekaterina Seliverstova (RUS, 5km and 10km), Jana Pechanova (CZE, also in the two shorter races), Melissa Gorman (AUS, 10km), Angela Maurer (GER, 10km), Martina Grimaldi (ITA, 10km) and Larisa Ilchenko (RUS, 10km). In the 25km event, Italians Grimaldi and Federica Vitale, as well as Russians Anna Uvarova and Ksenia Popova seem in better position for the leading places.
COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Saturday, July 17: 10km Women
Sunday, July 18: 10km Men
Tuesday, July 20: 5km Men and Women
Thursday, July 22: 25km Men and Women
WINNERS AT THE PREVIOUS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (2000-2009)
| 5km | 10km | 25km | |
| MEN | |||
| 2000, Honolulu (USA) | Evgeny Bezroutchenko (RUS) | David Meca (ESP) | Yuri Kudinov (RUS) |
| 2001, Fukuoka (JPN) | Luca Baldini (ITA) | Evgeny Bezroutchenko (RUS) | Yuri Kudinov (RUS) |
| 2002, Sharm el Sheikh (EGY) | Luca Baldini (ITA) | Evgeny Koshkarov (RUS) | Yuri Kudinov (RUS) |
| 2003, Barcelona (ESP) | Evgeny Koshkarov (RUS) | Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) | Yuri Kudinov (RUS) |
| 2004, Dubai (UAE) | Grant Cleland (AUS) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Brendan Capell (AUS) |
| 2005, Montreal (CAN) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Chip Peterson (USA) | David Meca (ESP) |
| 2006, Naples (ITA) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Josh Santacaterina (AUS) |
| 2007, Melbourne (AUS) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) | Yuri Kudinov (RUS) |
| 2008, Seville (ESP) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) | Maarten van der Weijden (NED) |
| 2009, Rome (ITA) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Thomas Lurz (GER) | Valerio Cleri (ITA) |
| WOMEN | |||
| 2000, Honolulu (USA) | Peggy Buchse (GER) | Edith van Dijk (NED) | Edith van Dijk (NED) |
| 2001, Fukuoka (JPN) | Viola Valli (ITA) | Peggy Buchse (GER) | Viola Valli (ITA) |
| 2002, Sharm el Sheikh (EGY) | Viola Valli (ITA) | Britta Kamrau (GER) | Edith van Dijk (NED) |
| 2003, Barcelona (ESP) | Viola Valli (ITA) | Viola Valli (ITA) | Edith van Dijk (NED) |
| 2004, Dubai (UAE) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Britta Kamrau (GER) | Britta Kamrau (GER) |
| 2005, Montreal (CAN) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Edith van Dijk (NED) | Edith van Dijk (NED) |
| 2006, Naples (ITA) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Angela Maurer (GER) |
| 2007, Melbourne (AUS) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Britta Kamrau-Corestein (GER) |
| 2008, Seville (ESP) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Larisa Ilchenko (RUS) | Ksenia Popova (RUS) |
| 2009, Rome (ITA) | Melissa Gorman (AUS) | Keri-Anne Payne (GBR) | Angela Maurer (GER) |